


I Object

by buffalo1221



Category: Women's Soccer RPF
Genre: F/F
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-07-09
Updated: 2020-01-07
Packaged: 2020-06-25 12:29:16
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 26
Words: 39,232
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/19745797
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/buffalo1221/pseuds/buffalo1221
Summary: Senator Harris is in need of an attorney and Krieger, O’Hara & Associates happens to be the best firm in D.C.





	1. ONE

**Author's Note:**

> So, I’m feeling inspired by the World Cup win and some messages in my inbox asking if I’d ever consider writing again. It’s been a busy few years, but I miss you all and I miss writing these two. So here’s a new story I just cooked up. It won’t be nearly as long as my others since I have other writing projects going on, but I hope you’ll enjoy the ride with me :)

Ali let out a deep sigh as she exited the courthouse into the crisp spring evening. Her mind was already swirling with the judgment that was going to add some extra zeros to her bank account. It’s not that the result was unexpected—the brunette attorney was unshakably confident in her abilities—it’s just that Ali couldn’t believe it was finally over. The case had eaten up the better part of a year and what started in mediation had quickly escalated into a behemoth case.

A shriek pulled the brunette from her thoughts and though she already knew where it was coming from, it was reinforced with an arm thrown across her shoulder.

“Kriegs you killed it in there!” shouted the lithe brunette to the right of Ali a bit too loudly for her liking.

“We killed it, Kelley,” Ali asserted after issuing warning glares at passerby’s who couldn’t mind their own business. “Couldn’t have done it without you.”

The brunette cast a glance over her shoulder at the freckled woman. The two had met in law school and while their relationship was a bit tumultuous at first, the two had grown close and eventually went on to open their own law firm after working as associates for several years. Over time, Krieger O’Hara & Associates had become a top law firm in D.C. and they were always looking to bring on the best and brightest minds to take their practice even further. It was a lot of work, but Ali wouldn’t trade what she did—and who she did it with—for the world.

“Well, that settlement does hit our bottom line so I guess I can’t complain,” Kelley shrugged with a mischievous grin on her lips. “So where are we going to celebrate this massive victory?”

The brunette let out a chuckle as she glanced down at her diamond-studded Cartier watch. Glancing back up at her partner, Ali noted it was only 2 o’clock in the afternoon.

“Yeah, but we’re kind of the bosses,” the other woman retorted in a knowing tone. “That means we can do whatever we want, right?”

Again Ali chuckled at this. If for nothing else, the brunette would always appreciate her partner’s goofiness and playful side. It certainly made the long days and nights pass just a bit easier. The distinguished attorney couldn’t even count on two hands the number of times Kelley had her in a fit of giggles well past midnight. In fact, just last week, sprawled out on her office floor at 1 in the morning, heels kicked off, with half a bottle of good whiskey gone, Ali was in a side-splitting laugh. The brunette couldn’t remember what Kelley had done or said, but it got her mind off the gruesome pictures they had been sifting through all night. While the freckled lawyer had much more going for her, perhaps the thing Ali appreciated most was her sense of humor and ability to break up the mundane.

“Let me just check my schedule,” Ali conceded, knowing she’d likely be too worked up to get much of anything done the rest of the day anyway.

The smile gracing Kelley’s lips was unparalleled as the two strolled down the bustling D.C. streets back to their office a few blocks away but quickly dropped when Ali let out an annoyed groan.

“Damn it,” the attorney hissed. “Heather scheduled a meeting for me this afternoon. Starts in less than an hour…”

“Why would she do that?” Kelley asked in a puzzled tone. “Didn’t you tell her to push everything until tomorrow?”

Ali nodded and began scrolling through her emails. She had told Heather to hold any meetings until the following day, which had to mean one of two things. Either this meeting couldn’t wait or it was with someone who they couldn’t afford to make wait.

“Who’s it with?” the partner prodded.

“Senator Harris,” Ali mumbled in disbelief.

“Senator Harris!” Kelley shrieked animatedly. “No way…let me see!”

Before Ali could use her body to shield the feisty brunette off, Kelley had grabbed the phone from her grasp and was scrolling through the email. After letting out a few expletives underneath her breath, the freckled woman handed the phone back with a wide-eyed expression.

“Guess I’ll have to pass on those celebratory drinks right now,” the older brunette sighed as they stopped in front of the sprawling building occupied by Krieger O’Hara & Associates among others.

“I’m heading over to Mayday’s to meet up with some of the associates, but I expect to get a full debriefing from you after that meeting.”

The tone in the brunette’s voice left little up for debate. Though Ali always knew she would end her day celebrating the victory with Kelley, she just had to get through the little speedbump of the impending meeting.

Reaching out, Ali tugged her partner in for a tight hug. Arms wrapped around the smaller woman, the attorney let out a deep exhale and promised to meet up with her as soon as the meeting ended. After exchanging a quick goodbye, Ali turned and pushed through the rotating door that led into the lobby of the Burns Building. Strolling across the bright white marble floors with light gray veins running through them, the powerful attorney exchanged pleasantries with a few people as she made her way to the elevator.

When she reached the 11th floor, the doors open and Ali was greeted with the normal chaos of her office building. Since the recent expansion that led to a new class of ten associates being hired, the decibel in the office had definitely risen. Still, she wouldn’t have it any other way. After all the hard work she and Kelley had put in, the cacophony of sound was worth it. They were lucky to reach that level in their careers. Employing over fifty people meant they were successful. Thankfully, it also meant that some of the caseload was able to be shouldered by others. All-nighters at the office happened once in a while instead of once a week now that there were other partners and eager associates to rely on. After ten years busting her ass, Ali certainly appreciated the slight reprieve it afforded. It would come in handy if she were to ever settle down and have a family, though as of late that didn’t seem likely in the near future.

“Great job in court today!” chirped a voice as Ali strolled into her office.

Pausing, the brunette spun on her heels to greet her assistant Heather. The woman was five years her senior, and though she technically worked for Ali, always felt like more of a sister than anything. She was always there whether the attorney needed 100 photocopies run off or a shoulder to cry on. Heather was a part of the family, which was why Ali was letting to let this last minute meeting go unquestioned.

“So, Senator Harris, huh?” the brunette asked under a raised eyebrow.

They both knew the prestigious Senator was one of the most popular in the Senate. Based out of Florida, the woman sported nicely tanned skin and a flair for the dramatics that was perfectly bridled by a strong moral compass and unparalleled decorum. If the Senator was coming to Krieger O’Hara & Associates, it meant her career could be on the line. That was not something Ali took lightly.

“Yeah, I know you said to push all meetings, but Mrs. Harris was so insistent…” Heather quickly apologized, but Ali waved her off.

“Don’t worry about it. A meeting like this can’t wait. I’ll be in my office getting organized so just page me when she gets here, okay?”

The assistant nodded as Ali quickly retreated into the office and tugged the thick wooden door closed behind her. Finally alone with her thoughts, the attorney sank into her oversized leather executive chair with a deep sigh. The exhaustion of the Wilson case was weighing heavy on her. Though the case had lasted almost a year, the last few weeks had been crunch time. It was a case that needed her and Kelley’s full attention, not something that could be handed off to an associate. That meant late nights and stress, something the brunette had become accustomed to coping with.

After taking a few minutes to process everything, Ali shifted her focus on getting organized. The last thing she wanted was the Senator to take her chaotic office as a sign of incompetence. The last few weeks had been extremely hectic and the attorney hadn’t been afforded a moment to breathe, let alone clean her office.

Thankfully, there was just enough time to throw files into boxes and organize her desk a bit before the intercom rang.

“Senator Harris is here,” Heather chirped through the line.

Letting out a deep breath, the attorney sank down confidently into her chair and jammed down the intercom button with her pointer finger.

“Please see the Senator in,” Ali stated assuredly as she prepped her face with a stoic smile and waited for the door to her office to swing open.


	2. TWO

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you for the warm welcome back! Glad you're all enjoying this so far and hopefully it lives up to your expectations. Let's keep this party going!

The door cracked open and Heather ushered a woman similar in age into the room. The blonde was attractive, but carried herself in a way that Ali couldn’t describe. The blonde was known for being bold and brash, but this time, instead of glistening with excitement, the woman’s eyes housed something else. The attorney couldn’t tell if it was anger or sadness, but it was a far cry from the fiery personality the prestigious woman typically boasted when passionately delivering speeches.

“Good afternoon, Senator Harris.”

Ali stated warmly as she stood up from her thick mahogany desk to greet the woman. Extending her hand, the attorney gave an almost imperceptible nod to her assistant who quickly scurried out of the room and gently closed the door behind her.

“It’s nice to meet you, Mrs. Krieger,” the Senator stated as she gripped Ali’s hand and shook it tightly. “I’ve heard great things about you and your firm.”

“I’m glad to hear that,” Ali replied before directing the woman to have a seat.

It was certainly good news that a United States Senator had heard about her firm, but if Ali was being honest, the sentiment wasn’t reciprocated. Being a lawyer in D.C. certainly meant keeping up on politics, but Senator Harris was new to the circuit and Ali had yet to rub shoulders with her at any major functions. Still, the woman sitting before her was intriguing. At first glance, the brunette noticed the woman was even more attractive in person. Her perfectly tailored black pantsuit clung tightly to her lithe physique and the attorney pondered for a second whether or not it was appropriate to ask for her tailor’s contact information. Reigning in her thoughts, Ali pulled her eyes from the woman’s outfit and met her pensive gaze.

“I’ve heard good things about you too,” the attorney finally responded, hoping the client didn’t catch the way her voice changed inflection when she offered untruthful information.

“You’re too kind,” the Senator retorted with a hollow laugh. “But we both know this is D.C. so chances are only half of what you’ve heard about me is good.”

Ali let out a slight chuckle and nodded, knowing the Senator had hit the nail on the head. Politics and smear campaigns went hand in hand in D.C. and she had certainly heard plenty of rumors. In her field, it was in the brunette’s best interested to stay abreast of those rumors so she’d be prepared if any of those high-profile clients came stumbling through her door.

“Well, that might be so, but I only listen to the good ones,” Ali offered with a conspiratorial wink. “Now how can I help you?”

The Senator seemed thankful to get the conversation moving and the brunette surmised she was likely on a tight schedule or dealing with an incident that was quick to go public and that meant acting fast to get all of their ducks in a row.

“First of all, thank you for meeting with me on such short notice,” Senator Harris offered. “I obviously never thought I’d be in this situation, but here we are.”

Ali nodded. Truth be told, none of her clients ever thought they’d be in this situation. They never thought they’d need a high-profile divorce attorney because chances are if they did, they likely wouldn’t have gotten married in the first place. Still, the brunette offered the Senator a tightlipped smile and nodded like she truly understood where she was coming from. The Senator didn’t know that Ali had no idea what the woman was going through. She didn’t know the attorney had never been married or even had a relationship that was serious enough to move in together or get engaged. Perhaps that’s why Ali was the best at what she did. She’d never been married so she was completely immune to the emotions that came with it. The brunette was able to look at every case pragmatically, concerning herself only with the facts of the matter and not the intense emotions that came with it. 

“Well, I can assure you that you’re in great hands at Krieger O’Hara & Associates,” Ali stated emphatically. “But I think you already know that or you wouldn’t be here.”

“Smart woman,” the Senator chuckled. “Perhaps smarter than I.”

“You’d be surprised the people that come through our doors,” Ali stated evenly, trying to bring the blonde a bit of comfort. “There’s no judgment here. We only care about getting the best settlements possible for our clients.”

The blonde let out a deep sigh and dropped her head so her head was glancing up at the ceiling. It lolled to the side as the Senator took in the immaculate office. It was perfectly decorated, from the shelves decorated with trinkets to the framed Penn State Law School degree. Casting her gaze to the side, the blonde’s eyes lit up.

“Listen, this conversation is hard enough to get through. Can I get a glass of that…scotch?”

“Whiskey,” Ali corrected with a smile while rising from her desk. “I never got much into scotch.”

A light lull settled over the room as Ali strode over to a small table in the corner of the room where the decanter of whiskey sat between four crystal glasses. The brunette could feel eyes on her as she plucked two glasses off the table with one hand and grabbed the decanter in the other. Heels clicking on the dark wooden floor the entire way, the attorney came back to her desk and set everything down. Quickly pouring a few inches in each glass, Ali extended a glass to the Senator who happily leaned forward and took it.

“Cheers,” the Senator offered with a cheeky smirk as she clinked her glass against the brunette’s and took a big sip.

Ali reciprocated and let the liquid slide down her throat and heat her up from the inside out. Taking one more sip, the attorney swallowed and then set the glass back down on the desk.

“So, let’s get down to business.”

The Senator nodded, took another sip, and then leaned back in her leather chair. Crossing her legs, the blonde grasped the cup in both hands and finally leveled her gaze with the attractive attorney sitting across from her.

“As you know, this can cause a big political hit for me. Getting elected as the first female Senator married to a woman stirred up enough controversy, but I’m up for reelection next year and a messy divorce will crush me in the polls. I don’t want that asshole Feinstein to gain any traction against me so we need to handle this delicately.”

Ali nodded and crossed her hands in her lap.

“I can assure you that discretion is something we take very seriously at KHA. I know it’s not exactly my place, but I do find myself wondering if perhaps you can push this off until after the election.”

“I wish,” Senator Harris huffed. “Things have gotten too bad between us. We’ve been separated for over a year at this point, but now she’s refusing to come to any events with me. Christ, she hasn’t even left our Florida home to come up here in over two months. The smaller tabloids are already picking up on it so it’s only a matter of time before larger publications start running their own stories and it gains traction. I need to get ahead of everything and file before she inevitably does. We need to dictate the narrative and not let her team hijack it. Does that make sense?”

Again, Ali nodded and studied the blonde sitting before her. Though most of her skin was covered with the chic suit, Ali noticed her face appeared quite pale. It seemed that the woman hadn’t been back to Florida in quite some time, which seemed understandable given the situation. 

“Well, you came to the right place. We can certainly get things moving, but if you’re looking for discretion, getting everyone in the same room for mediation that would be the best way to avoid a messy, contentious divorce.”

The blonde snorted and shook her head before downing the rest of her whiskey.

“Good luck getting Ashlyn to show up anywhere and talk to me pleasantly,” Senator Ann Harris guffawed, erupting into a cold laugh that sent an uncomfortable feeling slithering through the brunette. “Anyways,” the Senator refocused with a final chuckle, “Tell me what you need from me to get this process started. The sooner the better.”

Letting out a sigh Ali leaned forward and plucked her whiskey glass off the desk. Throwing back the amber liquid, the brunette savored the burning in her throat. This was going to be a long meeting and if the attorney had any inclination based on her previous experience, it was going to take everything she possessed to make this divorce run smoothly and discreetly.


	3. THREE

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Glad you all loved my little curveball at the end of that one. Buckle up for this crazy ride!

“ALI!” shouted a high pitched voice from across the bar.

Though she already knew the source of the ruckus, Ali glanced to her right and locked eyes with Kelley from across the way. The younger partner was standing at a cocktail table surrounded by associates, interns, and an absolute explosion of shot glasses and bottles. Shaking her head, the brunette could only imagine what their tab was going to be by the end of the night. The last time the firm celebrated a victory on the same scale as the multimillion settlement she had reached that day in a contentious divorce between an abusive software developer and his philanthropist wife, the tab had reached the five digits. It paled in comparison to the rewards they reaped from the case, but it was certainly a bill Ali didn’t care to glance at and hoped it went right to accounting without passing over her desk.

“Took you long enough!” Kelley shrieked as Ali rounded the bar and approached their table.

The freckled attorney pulled her partner into a tight embrace and Ali could already smell the booze on her breath. Pulling back from the hug, Kelley leaned over and plucked two shots off the table.

“You’re behind, Krieger,” the Irish attorney accused, thrusting both shots towards the older woman.

After the meeting she just had, Ali was thankful for the gift and quickly threw back the two shots of tequila. The brunette knew mixing alcohol meant she wasn’t going to feel great tomorrow, but she was the boss and could easily push her morning meetings back and sleep in if necessary.

“Great win today, Ali!” shouted Whitney, one of their associates as she gave Ali a quick side hug. “That asshole got what was coming to him thanks to you.”

The attorney smiled and nodded, thinking back to how pleased she was with the turnout of the case. After their investigators found evidence of the software developers cheating and physical abuse and dug up the foreign bank accounts where he was hiding money away from his wife, her client has walked away with over three hundred dollars, a few vacation homes, and, most importantly, full custody of their children. That was what mattered most to their client, Madeline, and Ali was just happy she was able to get her full custody and then some.

“Thanks, Whit!” the brunette responded excitedly with a bright smile as she returned the hug.

Before Ali could even order a drink, her favorite, vodka soda with lime, was pressed into her hand. The brunette mumbled a thank you but was already so swarmed with congratulations that she didn’t even see who gave it to her. It didn’t matter though as she relished the delicious drink and easily fell into conversation with the throngs of KHA employees that were already frequenting the downtown D.C. bar.

Thankfully, thirty minutes later things had settled down and Ali found herself cozied up in a booth with her partner. Kelley was still a few drinks ahead, but she had a few hours head start so Ali couldn’t blame her.

“So, how did that meeting with Senator Harris go?” the freckled attorney prodded after Whitney slipped out of the booth to go socialize with some of the other associates.

“It was…interesting,” Ali admitted before sipping her drink. “Ann was certainly fired up and had quite a lot to say. Apparently, they’ve been quietly separated over a year already though up until recently Ashlyn was attending events with her. She’s just worried the media is going to start picking up on it and wants to get ahead of the game.”

“Damn,” Kelley hissed. “Yeah, she’s up for reelection next year, isn’t she? Against that asshole Feinstein?”

Ali nodded, refocusing after waving at a few associates who were slipping out of the bar to head home for the night. Unlike the bosses, they had to report for work bright and early tomorrow and were likely already at risk of waking up with a hangover.

“Well, what’s the deal with her wife? Does she think it’ll run smoothly?”

At this question, Ali snorted. Based on what the Senator had said, this divorce was going to be anything but smooth. Years of hostility had built up past the boiling point and she doubted her wife would even come to D.C. for mediation.

“That’s why she came to us,” the brunette explained, “She’s worried about how it will all play out and wants us to try to keep things discreet. Thinks having an all-female firm represent her will be good for optics too.”

“It’s all about optics with those politicians,” Kelley hummed, raising her eyebrows in suspicion as she kicked back the rest of her drink. “Any information on her wife?”

“Just that they were high school sweethearts. They fell hard and fast and got married pretty young. Apparently, they grew apart over time and things escalated quickly. Also, according to the Senator, she’s a ‘real bitch’ so there’s that,” Ali chuckled. “She doesn’t even think her wife will be willing to come to D.C. for mediation so that’ll be fun to navigate.”

“Sounds like every other case we handle only this one will likely play out in the media,” Kelley sighed. “She definitely came to the right place though.”

Ali nodded. Krieger O’Hara & Associates had a reputation as being one of the best family law firms in the state. There was talk of expanding with another office in Chicago or Los Angeles, but for now, the two named partners were happy to take a deep breath and let things settle after their recent expansion.

“Very true,” the brunette agreed confidently. “We’ll definitely have our hands full with this case though. Especially if her wife Ashlyn is as fiery as the Senator described.

Kelley chuckled and reminded Ali of their last political client and how smoothly that went. The two partners bantered back and forth for another couple hours, taking breaks in between to interact with the other attorneys and clerks from their firm who trickled in after work to celebrate the high-profile victory.

It was a vivacious gathering and Ali was smiling ear to ear as the sun set and the city was basked in darkness. Ali was proud of the life she and Kelley had created not only for themselves but for the people that worked for them. They two name partners were well-respected not just in their own community, but throughout the firm as well. They were fair, compassionate, and loyal—most of which was difficult to find in the legal world.

Humming from the alcohol, Ali slipped from her seat in the booth she and Kelley were occupying with Heather and a few other clerks and made her way over to the bar. She was going to close out the tab now that it was past 9 o’clock and most of the crew had gone home. The brunette had no desire to see the figure on the bottom of the bill, but she doubted Kelley could even see straight at the moment and worried the younger partner would leave a 100% tip like she had the last time.

The brunette sidled up to the bar and flagged down the bartender, signaling that she’d like to close the tab out. The man behind the bar nodded and scurried over to the cash register. Glancing up at the TV positioned in the corner of the bar, Ali watched the news ticker when she felt a warm body press into her side.

Letting out a sigh at the unwanted attention that was likely coming from a man who had no chance, Ali hazarded a glance over her shoulder. Instead of a greasy associate from another firm who thought he might get lucky, she was met with a set of stunning hazel irises.

“Sorry about that,” the woman apologized. “That asshole bumped into me.”

Ali glanced over the woman’s shoulder where a very intoxicated man was animatedly explaining something to his friends. It was definitely time to get out of the bar as the younger, rowdy crowd began to creep in.

“No worries,” Ali responded. “I’m just closing out my tab and then you can have my spot.”

“You sure I can’t buy you one more drink?” the blonde questioned, her tone hopeful yet confident.

The forward request made Ali chuckle, though she couldn’t deny the woman had a certain appeal that she hadn’t encountered in some time.

“Unfortunately I have to call it a night,” the attorney politely responded.

Letting out a sigh that led to her shoulders visibly sinking the blonde frowned. If the woman wasn’t so attractive Ali would have found it comical. Normally she wouldn’t pass up on a drink with a beautiful woman, but after the exhausting day she had, bed was the only thing on the attorney’s mind.

“Well, can I at least get your name?”

“Ali,” the lawyer retorted, sticking her hand out to shake the taller woman’s.

“Well it’s nice to meet you, Ali,” the blonde stated with a confident smile as she held Ali’s hand longer than socially acceptable.

Whether buzzing from the alcohol or the way the woman’s hazel irises had her completely captivated, Ali certainly didn’t mind.

“And you are?” the brunette retorted with her own playful smile as she finally retracted her hand.

“Everyone calls me Ash,” the woman replied with a dimpled smile that made Ali’s stomach flip. “Now I have to ask one more time…how sure are you about passing on that drink?”

Ali cast a glance over her shoulder at an overly-enthusiastic Kelley waving frantically while Heather throwing a thumbs up in her direction and nodding excitedly in approval. Embarrassed by her co-workers turned friends, the attorney tried to fight off the crimson hue creeping up her cheeks. Turning back to the smirking blonde beside her, Ali finally nodded.

“I guess one more drink couldn’t hurt,” the attorney conceded with a sly grin.


	4. FOUR

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> What you've all been craving... a bit more A Team interaction ;)

It turned out to not just be one drink. It was two drinks, the second occurring after everyone from KHA had cleared out of the bar. And then, because Ali let it slip that she hadn’t eaten since breakfast—a normal occurrence when she was at court all day—the stunning blonde suggested they venture down the street to grab a slice of pizza. Ali typically wouldn’t indulge a stranger like this, but there was something different this woman. She seemed free, full of life, and had a way of making Ali forget that all she wanted was to pass out in bed just an hour ago.

Posted up in a booth at JP’s Pizza Parlor, Ali ignored the fact that she was severely overdressed for their dining choice. She didn’t much care as she glanced from the stunning woman in front of her down to the fresh slice of pizza that had her mouth watering in anticipation.

“So, what’s Ash short for?” the brunette prodded before sinking her teeth into the massive slice of pepperoni pizza.

“Ashlyn,” the woman replied before following suit and taking a bite of her food.

Ali’s heart jumped into her throat but quickly pushed down her initial thoughts. This woman shared a name in common with Senator Harris’s wife, but that was where their commonality ended. It was clear from the full sleeves of tattoos, lack of wedding ring, and physical presence in D.C. that this was certainly not the Ashlyn her client was currently initiating a divorce against. The thought was humorous though and Ali failed to concede a slight chuckle that the blonde quickly picked up on.

“What’s so funny?” Ashlyn questioned with a raised eyebrow.

“Today has just been a crazy day,” the brunette conceded. “Not at all how I pictured it going and certainly not how I pictured it ending.”

“You mean this isn’t how you imaged your night going?” the blonde questioned rhetorically, spreading her arms wide.

“Can’t say I pictured grabbing drinks and pizza with a complete stranger before heading home for the night,” Ali giggled before taking another bite of her pizza.

“Well, who said this is how it’s going to end?” Ashlyn countered.

The blonde’s eyebrow raised dubiously to match her knowing smirk and it was all Ali could do to look away. She already had a thing for blondes, but a confident woman was on another level altogether. Ashlyn was certainly her type but Ali wasn’t looking for a relationship at the moment. With how crazy things were at the law firm, her days were long and there just wasn’t time to devote to someone else. Work was her relationship and that was something Ali vowed herself to be okay with for the time being.

“So, are you from D.C.?” the attorney asked, quickly diverting the conversion away from promiscuity.

“No, I’m just here for work,” Ashlyn replied as she took the last bite of her pizza and pushed the plate away. “I do consulting for some of the developers in the area.”

“Interesting,” Ali nodded as she too finished her pizza. “How long are you in town for?”

“Hopefully heading out the day after tomorrow,” the consultant replied. “Goal is to be home by the weekend.”

Ali thought to ask the blonde where ‘home’ was but was interrupted by her phone going off. Holding up a finger to signal she just needed a moment, the brunette clicked on the incoming message from Kelley.

Made it home safe! Thanks for calling me the Uber. You da best!

The brunette was about to type out a response when another two texts came through, these also from Kelley.

Also I may be drunk but I saw you chatting with that blonde hottie. You deserve to have a little fun. If you don’t hit that tonight, get me her number pleasseee.

But seriously…you should hit that.

The accompanying devil emojis elicited an eye roll from Ali. Who quickly silenced her phone and turned her attention to the woman sitting across from her. The attraction and tension between the two were undeniable and Ali wasn’t sure if it was the slight haze from the alcohol, the fact that it had been a few months since she’d gotten laid, or the prodding from Kelley that made the next few words spill out of her mouth.

“It’s…getting pretty late,” Ali mumbled.

The attorney’s words dissipated nervously into the air. She wasn’t sure what she wanted at the moment, but there was this gravitational pull she felt towards the woman. It wasn’t just her looks either, though those were enough to do the trick. What intrigued Ali the most was how the conversation flowed effortlessly between them. The two talked about their families, their favorite spots in D.C., their dream travel destinations, and their most embarrassing moments like they were old friends. For hours now, they had been chatting so easily, changing from topic to topic with no hesitation. What was truly unique was that she could tell Ashlyn was actually listening. Most dates—not that she was even remotely calling this interaction a date, she barely knew the woman after all—simply talked the talk, doing whatever they thought was required to get through the night and increase their chances of going home with the brunette. This felt different though. While there was obvious flirtation, it was evident that Ashlyn was truly listening. The blonde would circle back to earlier things Ali had stated, delving deeper into topics they had already broached. It was refreshing actually and as the evening wore on, Ali found herself leaning in closer and holding the blonde’s gaze longer.

“It is,” Ashlyn agreed, a knowing smirk playing on her lips.

Ali could feel the blonde toying with her, waiting her out to see if the attorney would actually make a move. It emboldened her.

“Do you have plans for the rest of the night or do you want to walk me home?” the brunette questioned with a coy smile, adding, “It’s just a few blocks.”

Pulling her bottom lip between her teeth, Ashlyn’s eyes scanned the brunette for a moment before nodding.

“I’m all yours,” Ashlyn replied with a dimpled smirk, sliding out of the booth and extending her hand to help the brunette up. “Now, where to, beautiful?”


	5. FIVE

The next morning, the steaming light beams breaking through the chic curtains pries the brunette from her restful sleep. Blinking a few times to adjust to the bright steams of light, Ali let out a groan as a searing pain surged through her head. Despite the fun she had, the attorney regretted the last bottle of champagne she purchased at Mayday’s, plus the several rounds of shots and drinks Kelley and the other KHA staff forced on her. Her head was reeling, but in all honestly, Ali expected it to be much worse. The only saving grace was that she had eaten something before stumbling home to bed.

Suddenly, Ali’s eyes shot wide open as the events of that night came swelling back into her mind. _The pizza. The blonde._

Sitting up abruptly, the brunette frantically glanced to her right, her hand sliding through the tangle of light gray sheets. The other side of the bed was empty, the sheets already cold, but that didn’t stop the memories from rushing in.

_The heated kiss that began at the front door and ended with Ali being thrown into her own bed._

_The way they had hungrily stripped each other naked._

_Wrestling for top position as they devoured every inch of each other’s body._

_The way Ashlyn stroked her towards orgasm so masterfully._

The thoughts alone were making Ali start to feel some type of way, so she quickly pushed them from her mind. As hot as the prior night was, the brunette was glad she woke up alone. Her mind was too foggy to remember exactly what time Ashlyn had slipped out, but with the hammering headache she was currently battling, dealing with the morning after was not something Ali wanted to worry about. Mornings after were awkward enough without the prospect of a searing migraine.

What Ali _needed_ to deal with was the slew of text messages and emails that were likely housed in her phone after sleeping until well after the sun came up. Grimacing, the brunette dug around in the sheets until her fingers brushed against the black iPhone. Unearthing it from underneath the mountain of plush pillows, Ali blinked a few times in disbelief at the sheer volume of notifications she had. The one at the top elicited an eye roll. Of course, Kelley would have sent five text messages in the span of a couple of hours.

The first text from Kelley started off over enthusiastically as they typically did.

**8:30 am: Good morning sunshine!**

Over an hour later, there was a follow-up text.

**9:45 am: How’d your night go? ;)**

Apparently the lack of response—or perhaps it was the lack of juicy details—set the feisty Irish attorney off and the texts started coming in closer together and with a bit more sass.

**10:22 am: GIRL ARE YOU ALIVE?**

**10:32 am: ALEXANDRA KRIEGER! WAKE UP! I NEED DEETS!**

**10:52 am: I’M COMING TO GET YOU AND DRAG YOUR ASS TO BRUNCH!**

Glancing at the actual time, Ali let out an exaggerated groan. It was 11:00 am, which meant that Kelley was likely already on her way. When the younger named partner had her mind set on something, there was nothing that could stop her.

Slowly, Ali peeled herself from the white satin 2,000 thread count sheets and dragged herself to the bathroom. Wincing as her bare feet hit the freezing cold marble tiles floor, the brunette turned on the shower. While she was waiting for the water to get hot, the attorney grabbed a bottle of Motrin from the medicine cabinet and popped a few of the orange pills into her mouth. Sticking her mouth under the oil-rubbed bronze faucet, Ali took a few gulps of water and washed the pills down before stepping back and looking at her haggard appearance in the mirror. A shower was _definitely_ in order.

Thankfully, the water was already warm. Ali stepped into the shower and let the hot water wash over her toned body. It felt great but did little to curb the splitting headache that was pounding in the middle of her forehead. She only hoped that the drugs kicked in before Kelley got there. The brunette wasn’t sure she could handle the high-pitched shrieks of her partner without some relief.

Twenty minutes later, Ali realized she was right. The attorney had just finished putting herself together, stepping into the sleek black knee-length dress with a light gray blazer over top of it when there was a pounding on her door. The brunette knew Kelley had a key so the ruckus was merely a warning. Sure enough, less than ten seconds later there was jingling in the lock and the Irish attorney saw herself in.

“Could have texted me back if you were already up!” Kelley chided, though there was no malice in her tone.

Ali just rolled her eyes and watched as Kelley peered over her shoulder into the rest of the apartment. The younger woman was searching for something and Ali knew exactly what it was.

“No one’s here, Kelley,” the brunette informed with a slight mumble. “And you’re not getting details until I get a plate of pancakes and a mimosa in me so let’s go.”

“Glad to see you’re so chipper this morning,” the younger attorney teased.

Shaking her head, Ali crammed her phone into her purse and grabbed her keys from the bowl beside the front door. Locking the door behind her, the two women began chattering back and forth as they made their way to their favorite breakfast spot called Perfect Balance. Kelley filled Ali in on her adventure-filled journey home in the Uber that ended with Heather and Whitney helping her into her apartment, while Ali tried to nod along to the story without increasing her headache. Thankfully, the medicine she took was helping a bit so Kelley’s animated storytelling wasn’t doing too much damage.

A ten-minute walk later, the duo sank into their usual spot on the back patio. Surrounded by lush greenery and a relaxed vibe, Ali could sense herself starting to feel a bit better. When she got an ice cold mimosa—really champagne with a splash of orange juice—the day started looking up.

“Hair of the dog?” Kelley chuckled as she clinked glasses with her partner.

Ali nodded before taking a sip of the refreshing drink. The taste made her remember the night before, but it didn’t bring back memories of a churning stomach. Instead, memories of something else took over. Thoughts that she shouldn’t be thinking at breakfast.

“Judging by the look on your face right now I’m assuming you had fun last night, huh?” the freckled attorney teased over the brim of her glass.

The brunette snapped back into the present, ignoring Kelley’s playful tone as the waitress came over to take their food order. After putting in an order for a short stack of blueberry pancakes that she hoped her stomach could handle, Ali handed her menu over and waited for the inevitable line of questioning that was sure to come her way.

As expected, Kelley broke through the silence.

“Sooooo…” the younger attorney stated rhetorically, her voice trailing off. “Who was _that_ last night? Please tell me you let loose for once, Ali!”

“Maybee,” the brunette replied coyly, though the mischievous grin splashed across her face gave Kelley the real answer.

The freckled attorney squealed in excitement, causing a few other patrons to glance their way, but after a firm look from the feisty attorney, they quickly turned back to their avocado toast and kale smoothies.

“Come on Ali,” Kelley pleaded. “You have to give me some details. I’m your best friend. It’s in the contract.”

Ali rolled her eyes, but couldn’t fight the smile playing on her lips as her mind drifted back to the events of the night before.

_”Hurry up,” Ashlyn pleaded into Ali’s ear, her body already pressing the attorney into the threshold of the door, lips hungrily nipping at her neck._

_Ali struggled with the keys, her mind a hazy mess from the alcohol and the extremely hot blonde pressing into her from behind. The passionate, fiery kiss they shared in the elevator, wasn’t helping, nor were the hands currently sliding up her inner thigh, slipping above the hem of her dress._

_“Damn it,” the brunette groaned as her keys dropped to the ground._

_It took everything in her, but the attorney turned and forced Ashlyn back with a stiff push, a stern glare warning the blonde to stay put while she retrieved her keys and opened the lock. Thankfully, she didn’t have to miss the hungry blonde for long as she rammed the keys into the door of her condo and threw the door open. Before Ali could even step through the threshold, Ashlyn was on her again, lifting the brunette off the ground as she kicked the door closed behind them._

_“Which way?” the blonde demanded as Ali wrapped her legs around her waist and leaned in for a heated kiss._

“Let’s just say if Ashlyn comes back into town, I will definitely be seeing her again,” Ali smirked, her eyes sparkling with mischievousness.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This can’t end badly, can’t it?? ;p


	6. SIX

On a gray foggy Monday morning, Starbucks cup clutched tightly in her hand, Ali strolled into the Burns Building where KHA was located on the 11th floor. Greeting the associates, clerks, and interns that had arrived before her, the brunette made small talk with a few people before grabbing her notes from Heather and sauntering into her office. The attorney tossed the notes down on her desk and set about firing up her computer and sifting through the emails she accumulated over the weekend that hadn’t been urgent enough to respond to immediately. The list was quite long and Ali groaned as she leaned back in her chair and took a sip of her coffee. Letting out a sigh, the brunette set the cup down and rolled her chair closer to her desk. She had to get started somewhere.

An hour and what felt like hundreds of emails later, the brunette’s phone vibrated. Plucking the phone off the desk, Ali opened the text and grinned at its contents. The memories rushed in as she typed out a response, but the attorney quickly pushed the thoughts away, tossing her phone back down on the desk after hitting send.

A few minutes later the phone vibrated once again, but Ali was too caught up in her work that she didn’t tear her eyes away from the computer. Instead, she continued typing away, dealing with the latest amendments to a client’s Settlement Agreement.

After responding to the overwhelming pile of emails in her Inbox, Ali shifted her attention to the real task that day. She needed to review Senator Harris’ divorce papers. They were trying to get them finalized and sent out that afternoon. The quicker they set things in motion, the quicker the Senator could get everything resolved. The press would inevitably pick up on it, but Ann wanted things over and done with well before the impending election so the media would move on to something else and shift the focus off her failed marriage.

The brunette was deep in thought reviewing the files when a voice chimed over the intercom.

“Goooooood morning!” Kelley sang through the speaker. “Do you have Mike Kinney’s number? I have to give him a callback and can’t find it.”

Shifting her focus, Ali pushed down the button on her intercom, “I’m sure I have it somewhere. Give me a second and I’ll shoot it over to you.”

Plucking her phone off the desk to search for Mike’s number, Ali was intrigued by the text that had appeared over an hour ago. Clicking on it, a dubious grin split across her face as a slight crimson crept up her neck. Unable to resist the urge, Ali typed out a cheeky reply.

“Sexting at work, Krieger?” came a familiar voice from the doorway.

Ali slammed her phone down and muttered an expletive as Kelley strolled into the room unannounced. The petite attorney was sporting a form-fitting knee-length navy blue dress and a sleek pair of heels. Hair pulled up into a high ponytail, she looked extremely composed, which was the exact opposite of how Ali felt at the moment.

“Seriously, what’s got you blushing so bad right now?” the freckled attorney prodded.

Rolling her eyes, Ali tried to dismiss Kelley, but she wasn’t quick enough as the brunette swiped her phone off the desk.

“HOLY SHIT,” Kelley hissed, eyes wide as she quickly thrust the phone back to the brunette. “Just please tell me that’s not any of our employees.”

Snatching her phone from Kelley’s outstretched hand, Ali shot her partner a stern glare. They both know it was a rhetorical question, and that Ali would never compromise the business they built, but the contents of the text definitely warranted the question.

“Uh no…” Ali stuttered as she shoved her phone into her top desk drawer, “It’s uh…it’s Ashlyn, the woman I met at the bar…”

“Well I’m glad it’s Ashlyn that ‘wants to fuck you so hard on that desk” and not one of our innocent little associates or interns,” Kelley teased with wiggling eyebrows. “Just make sure the blinds are closed and your door is locked. The last thing we need is an HR complaint.”

Ali let out a groan and dropped her head backward. 

“I thought that chick was from out of town and isn’t even in D.C. anymore,” the freckled attorney pried, making herself at home as she sank down into one of the plush chairs before Ali’s desk and kicked her feet up.

“She is,” the older partner replied while using her hand to swipe Kelley’s feet off her desk.

“Well, are you planning to see her if she comes back into town? I didn’t even know you got her number. Have you two been talking?”

“I’d have been stupid not to get her number,” Ali chuckled in response. “Neither of us is really looking for anything serious, but we’ve texted on and off for the past few days. I don’t know…if she invited me out next time she was in town I’d probably go.”

“I would,” Kelley huffed as if it was the most common sense thing in the world. “And judging by those raunchy texts I just read I think you would too.”

The brunette simply shrugged and leveled her gaze with Kelley. She really wasn’t sure where things stood with the blonde aside from a bit of playful banter and sexting the past few days, and honestly, there was too much going on in her life to read too much into it.

“Well, speaking of a different Ashlyn, how are the papers for the Harris divorce coming? Are we still on track to get those out today?”

Ali nodded, thankful for the change in conversation. She explained that she was just putting the final touches on them and would get them over to Kelley within the hour to review and then have one of the associates run the papers down to the Senator’s office to have them signed and notarized.

“Great!” Kelley exclaimed, happy that at least the initial process was running smoothly. “Then we just need to try to get her wife here for mediation. I’m sure that won’t be difficult at all.”

“If she’s as awful as Senator Harris makes her out to be, this is going to get messy quick. On your way out, can you ask Heather to update our media contacts list? I want to make sure we have recent contacts in case this breaks and I need to get a statement out quick.”

Kelley peeled herself out of the lavish chair and nodded while straightening out her dress. She muttered a quick goodbye and words of encouragement before slinking out of the room and closing the door behind her.

Letting out a sigh, Ali leaned forward and took a sip of her now lukewarm coffee before settling back into the case files. It was a small price to pay to inject some caffeine into her system. Something told her this case was going to involve a lot of late nights.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Don’t worry, we’re getting to the good stuff soon!


	7. SEVEN

“What’s on the docket today?” Ali questioned her secretary as she sauntered into the office at half past eight in the morning.

“Looks like you have a 9 o’clock with Jess about filing a custody agreement change and a 10 o’clock with the interns to cover the Johnson filing. Then lunch at one with Cheryl at Café Aroma,” the slight older brunette informed. “After that, you get a slight break before a 3 pm mediation session.”

“2 pm?” Ali hummed racking her brain for what that meeting was. “Who is that with?”

“Yes,” Heather nodded while clicking on the bolded appointment. “Uh, that looks like a meeting with Senator Harris and her wife.”

“Who scheduled that?” the brunette retorted, eyes scrunched in confusion.

“I just added it this morning,” the secretary explained. “The Senator said her wife was in town for work for just one day—today—and agreed to meet at 3 o’clock, no earlier, no later. She was very adamant, I’m sorry—”

Ali flicked her hand at Heather, hushing the woman before explaining that no apology was needed. After instructing the woman to reschedule her 10 o’clock with the interns in exchange for a working session with Kelley to prep for the mediation session, the attorney grabbed her messages from Heather and walked into her office to get settled.

The morning flew by, and before Ali knew it, she was posted up in the massive conference room with Kelley and a box of files they had accumulated over the last couple of weeks regarding the Senator Harris case. Most of it was financial records, bank and credit card statements, investment accounts, and a list of properties the couple owned across the globe. Ali spent a few minutes longingly looking at the picture of a stunning modern vacation home in Santorini but quickly refocused when Kelley tossed a crinkled up piece of scrap paper at her.

“Earth to Aliiiii,” the younger partner sang, smiling wider when Ali glared in her direction. “What’s got you so smiley over there? Your phone is on the table so I know it’s not because you’re texting lover girl.”

“She’s not my lover girl,” Ali retorted indignantly, “And if you have to know, I’m imagining myself sitting on this patio overlooking Santorini.”

Sliding the picture over to Kelley, the brunette tried to refocus on her work, but Kelley was having none of it, clearly just as distracted by the photo.

“Damnnnn,” the freckled attorney drawled, “Is the Senator looking for a new wife?”

“Could you imagine _that_ conflict of interest,” Ali chuckled. “Or the news headlines?”

Kelley smirked and set the picture back down.

“Seriously, I could picture ‘Senator Harris having affair with hot divorce attorney’ plastered on every newspaper in the country.”

Ali shook her head at Kelley’s confidence, rolling her eyes simultaneously, “We’re supposed to keep her _out_ of the news, not put her in it.”

The freckled brunette shrugged before picking back up the asset list she had been studying. A silence fell over the women again as they refocused on the task at hand. Bantering back and forth about the must-haves on the Senator’s list, the women quickly put together a ranked list and jotted down more notes on possible negotiation concessions.

After the clock hit 12:30, the duo began packing up. Kelley was taking the two new interns out for lunch while Ali met with another client. Glancing at the picture of the Santorini vacation home once more, Kelley sighed before slipping it back into its respective folder.

“You sure Senator Harris or her wife aren’t looking for something on the side?” the brunette questioned rhetorically.

Ali just rolled her eyes and pulled the folder from Kelley’s grasp. She was about to reply when her phone lit up. Before Ali could silence it, the freckled brunette noticed the name.

“Ash is in town for the week,” Ali explained casually. “We might get together for a drink later tonight.” 

“I bet you will get together,” Kelley teased with waggling eyebrows before switching focus. “She’s an architect, right? Does she have a vacation home in Santorini? If not, can she build us one?”

“I’ll be sure to ask,” the older attorney stated sarcastically. “Now do you have these files covered for later? I have to head out or I’ll be late for lunch with Cheryl.”

Kelley nodded and grabbed the heavy box off the table, instructing Ali to head out.

“Say hi to Cher Cher for me!” the brunette shouted after Ali, earning herself a dismissive wave.

At this point, Ali didn’t even want to meet with Cheryl. She was so focused on the Harris case that she wanted to remain in that mindset. Meeting with another client meant shifting her thoughts. Cheryl deserved Ali’s best and if she was focused on another case, the brunette wouldn’t be giving her 100%. She’d, of course, be charging her for 100% of the time, which meant giving all of her focus. Grabbing her file from Heather, Ali let out a sigh and headed towards the elevator. She was already perusing the file, trying to get caught up again as she strolled down the street when her phone rang.

“What’s up, Heather?” the brunette chirped into the phone after glancing at the caller ID.

“Cheryl just called. Her car broke down so she needs to reschedule for another day this week.”

Blowing out a sigh of relief, Ali tucked the folder into her bag and instructed the brunette to reschedule for tomorrow. After Heather scrolled through and ran off a few timeslots to Ali, the brunette thanked her, stating she was just going to grab a quick bite and then head back to the office to prep for the Harris mediation session a bit more.

An hour and forty-five minutes later, Ali was satiated with a burger from In n’ Out and was posted up in her office with Kelley. They covered a few last-minute details before Heather knocked on the door.

“Senator Harris is here,” the secretary explained.

Ali thanked Heather and instructed her to walk the Senator to the conference room to wait for them. The secretary nodded and slipped out of the room.

“Ready for this?” Kelley questioned as they gathered up the rest of the documents.

“Ready as I’ll ever be,” the brunette responded. “Can’t wait to meet this gem of a wife of hers.”

“Yeah, she seems like a real handful,” the freckled partner agreed with a chuckle. “3 pm mediation. No earlier. No later. 6 hour notice. Demanding much?”

“Seems like a real peach,” Ali joked as the pair made their way to the conference room. “Let’s just hope this runs smoothly.” 

As they entered the sprawling room, the Senator rose to greet them. The three women exchanged pleasantries, settling in to go over a few of the last-minute details. They were just covering the concessions list when the intercom chimed.

“The Senator’s wife and her attorney are here,” Heather chirped.

Leaning forward and pressing down the red intercom button, Ali instructed the secretary to bring the two women in. She quickly settled back down in her chair, crossing her arms in her lap after straightening out the papers sitting on the massive wooden conference table.

“Now don’t be surprised if she tries to hit on one of you,” the Senator chirped, her tone dripping with annoyance as voices down the hall grew louder. “She’s a real charmer.”

“I can assure you that won’t be a problem,” Ali replied confidently, knowing she’d never let anything personal get in the way of the work she prided herself on. 

As the seconds ticked by, Ali grabbed her glass of water and took a sip to wet her throat, almost spitting it out everywhere as the door swung open and Denise Henderson walked into the room with her client in tow. Her client being a very attractive, very familiar looking smirking blonde named Ashlyn Harris.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Next chapter we’ll get our little A Team reunion ;p


	8. EIGHT

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Your comments are giving me life. Glad you guys are enjoying this story as much as I’m enjoying writing it!! Buckle up, we’re about to get into the good stuff :)

Ali quickly composed herself and rose from her chair to greet the two women who had just entered the room. Donned in a black dress with a heather gray tweed blazer, Denise Henderson looked to be a formidable opponent and from experience, she knew the woman was. But all Ali could focus on at the moment was the blonde standing right behind the opposing counsel.

Ashlyn was grinning widely and though Ali was normally very good at reading people she couldn’t read the motivation behind the smirk. The blonde didn’t seem phased and Ali wondered if she _knew_ who Ali was this whole time. Either that or she just realized she had hit the jackpot because her wife’s divorce lawyer was in an extremely compromised situation. If the Senator knew what was going on, Ali would most certainly lose her business. On the other hand, if anyone else found out, it would be a media melee. Ali certainly couldn’t use the situation to her advantage and go to the media or shed light on the affair—if you could even call it that since the Senator and her wife had been separated for over a year—without putting a spotlight on the divorce, which was exactly what Senator Harris _didn’t_ want. This was a lose-lose situation and the brunette felt a shudder rippled up her spine as her business, reputation, and career were now in the hands of a woman she had frivolously spent one night with.

Shaking the thoughts from her head, Ali tried to refocus. It was difficult, but an awkwardness had settled into the room that she needed to quickly rebuff.

“Nice to see you again, Denise,” the brunette stated politely as she shook the other attorney’s hand.

“Yes, it’s been a while,” Denise replied with a warm smile. “This, as I’m sure you know, is my client, Ashlyn Harris.”

Praying the color of her cheeks weren’t tinted pink at the moment, Ali offered a tightlipped smile and nodded at the still smirking blonde. This was quite possibly the most awkward situation the brunette had ever found herself in—even more awkward than walking in on her brother and his best friend after prom—and she wasn’t quite sure how to handle it.

Deciding on a simple nod, Ali watched as everyone else introduced themselves before settling back into her seat. As soon as everyone was seated, Ali cast a glance to her right where the Senator was glaring at Ashlyn. The blonde was staring right back, though there was a defiant smile on her lips, and the brunette could feel the tension radiating between them.

“Alright, let’s get started,” Ali interjected to break through the tension.

“Yes, let’s,” the Senator agreed. “Thanks for taking time out of your ever-so-busy schedule to be with us today, Ashlyn.”

“Oh, I wouldn’t miss it for the world,” the blonde chirped back with a hint of attitude to match her wife’s.

Ali could see this spiraling out of control quickly and shot a glance at Kelley for some assistance.

“Denise, you received our first offer and I’m sure reviewed it with your client by now,” Kelley broke through the tension. “Are there any issues with that division of assets?”

Ashlyn let out a snort, “I’d say.”

Kelley turned her attention to the blonde, asking for a bit more clarification.

“First of all, if she thinks she’s getting the Florida home, she’s out of her mind. I designed and built that house and that’s something I will not concede on. You know how much that house means to me and that’s the only reason you want it.”

“For Christ sakes, Ashlyn,” Ann Harris scoffed. “I’m the Senator for Florida. If I don’t have a permanent address in Florida it creates a mess of issues. It’s just a house and I’m already settled in there. Besides, all of the furniture in there are antiques that I curated from before we were married.”

“Take the shitty furniture. I don’t care about that,” the blonde bit back. “I’m keeping the house. If you refuse, I’ll leave right now and go give an interview with Cindy over a CNN.” She paused and then cast a pointed glance at Ali, “I’m sure there’s a few things they would just _love_ to know”

Senator Harris threw her hands in the air in frustration and Ali felt a similar sentiment wash over her. What as Ashlyn getting at? 

“See what I have to deal with?” the prestigious woman groaned. “She’s impossible.”

Ali had to admit to herself that Ashlyn’s request did seem reasonable. She didn’t know the truth of the backstory or how much the house actually meant to the blonde, but with the wealth of assets the women possessed, squabbling over a house seemed a bit overboard. Still, she was beginning to get irritated by Ashlyn’s veiled threats. The last thing she needed was this encounter to blow up in her face. Denying it wasn’t an option either, Ashlyn had the receipts.

“Well, is there something on the list we were willing to concede that you would like in place of the house?” Ali asked the Senator, trying to reign in the irritation she felt.

“I want the vacation home in Monterrey, and she takes over the mortgage on the Florida house immediately. I’m not paying another dime for you to live in my house,” the Senator bit back. “And, we’re going to go through everything in the house and make sure it’s sorted accordingly.”

“Fine with me,” Ashlyn shrugged casually, happy her initial request had been granted.

Letting out a sigh of relief that they had successfully dodged one bullet, Ali continued on. The rest of the meeting mirrored the beginning and while there was some bickering and back and forth, there was clearly enough to go around. Neither woman seemed to want more than their fair share, but there were definitely some points of contention that held up the discussions. What set Ali on edge though, were the comments directed at her. 

The brunette’s skin bristled when Ashlyn let out a deep sigh at a statement the Senator made, and glanced directly at the brunette.

“Do you think we should tell her, Ali?”

“T-Tell her what?” the brunette attorney stuttered, her cheeks instantly turning red as she glared back at the blonde.

Ashlyn let a few tantalizing seconds pass by before a smile split across her lips, “That’s she’s crazy if she thinks I’m giving up the house in Santorini. Don’t you think I’d be crazy to give that up?”

Ali blew out a sigh of relief but before she could answer, the Senator interjected.

“Jesus, Ashlyn. Stop pestering my attorney. Is it so hard for you to be civil?” the older woman grunted.

“I don't know, is it so hard for you to not fuck your secretary on the side, Ann?” the blonde shot back. 

Kelley and Ali nearly spit their drinks out at the new information. If this was true, it certainly didn’t bode well for the Senator if Ashlyn were to go to the press. Perhaps that’s why she wanted it under wraps from the beginning. If Ali were to believe the statement, perhaps there were skeletons in everyone’s closets.

“Ashlyn,” Senator Harris hissed. “Enough.”

“Seems like I’ve got plenty to go to the news about, don’t I?” 

Everyone in the room assumed Ashlyn’s question was directed at the Senator. Everyone but Ali, because the blonde was staring at her with a pointed look. Ali couldn’t quite read the woman’s expression, but it made her uneasy. Thankfully, Kelley swooped in and quickly salvaged the conversation and finally, after a couple of hours, the meeting ended. There were still issues to sort out, but the Senator flew out of the office in a hurry since there was a pressing matter at Capitol Hill she needed to attend to. 

“Ali, would you be a dear and walk us out? I always get lost in this place. There’s no real flow to it,” Denise stated as the Senator rushed down the hall with her assistant Carli in tow.

Though the woman’s powdered face was plastered with a kind smile, Ali could read the condescension in her voice. The opposing counsel worked for Pennington Henderson & Wilson, a prestigious law firm across the city. They were on par with KHA but had been around for decades. The name partners were all second-generation attorneys and their offices were custom-built just on the outskirts of the city. Krieger O’Hara & Associates had taken a different approach. Coming out of law school without buckets of family money to get them started, Ali and Kelley had chosen the Burns Building to set up shop. The 11th floor was a complete mess when they first visited it. The wooden floors were torn up, scratched, and completely missing in sections, while the shoddy drywall work was peeling off in most sections. Even the drop ceiling was worse for wear and it was entirely overwhelming. Thankfully, the floors were easily patched and just needed to be refinished, there was stunning brick behind the drywall, and the ceiling just needed to be ripped down and spray painted black to complete the industrial loft vibe that was popping up all over the city. While the layout wasn’t as cohesive as they liked, it certainly beat the stuffy Pennington Henderson & Wilson building across town and the brunettes wouldn’t have it any other way.

Returning Denise’s fake smile with one of her own, Ali nodded and informed Kelley she would meet up with her to debrief in a few before escorting the two women to the elevator. It was something a secretary should be doing and the last thing she wanted was to be in Ashlyn’s presence a moment more than required by her job, but Ali was pleased with how the mediation session had gone and didn’t want to make any waves.

The trio made small talk on the elevator ride down, with Denise throwing slightly more shade about how she’d have to head back uptown for a decent lunch, to which Ali curtly replied that there were actually some great restaurants just a block away. She doubted the opposing counsel would take her advice, but it felt good to give it right back to the older attorney.

Unfortunately, after Denise had tucked away into her BMW that she paid some intern to circle around the block with so she didn’t have to park it on the street, it was just Ashlyn and Ali standing there. The brunette wasn’t quite sure what to say as the pair stood awkwardly on the curb while the blonde waited for her Uber to arrive. Thankfully, it was only a minute away— _supposedly_. The brunette was unsure how much of what Ashlyn said she actually believed at this point. Honestly, Ali just wanted to retreat back to her office, but something was holding her in place, rooting her feet to the concrete sidewalk.

“Seems like you and my attorney get along real nice,” the blonde joked, finally cutting through the uncomfortable silence. 

Though Ali rolled her eyes, she was at least thankful for something to break the awkward tension that had settled between them.

“Yeah, I’m like the little sister that isn’t allowed to tag along with the big kids,” Ali retorted.

“If it’s any consolation when I was looking for an attorney, your firm was up there with Pennington Henderson & Wilson. But obviously with you representing my wife...well, ex-wife, and you know…the whole conflict of interest thing.”

Ali didn’t laugh as the words burrowed inside of her head and settled into the synapses as a poignant reminder of how much power Ashlyn currently held over her. Still, she didn’t want to get into it on a street corner outside of her office building. It wasn’t the time or the place.

“Yes, _that’s_ the conflict of interest I have to worry most about,” the brunette mumbled, still unable to wrap her head around what was actually happening.

“So…” Ashlyn started, eyes twinkling with mischief as she met Ali’s gaze, “Are we still on for those drinks later tonight? Curtis Hotel has that nice rooftop bar…”

Ali couldn’t help but let her eyes wander. She knew it was a bad idea, but it was just a casual glance. The brunette had to admit that Ashlyn’s appeal hadn’t decreased after a couple of weeks passed. The blonde looked just as attractive as she had the first night. Dressed in tight, light gray slacks that stopped just shy of her ankles and a short-sleeve maroon button-up that showed off her toned and intricately tattooed arms, the Senator’s wife was a sight to see. But she was just that—the Senator’s _wife_. It didn’t matter that they were getting divorced or that they had been separated for over a year. What mattered was that the Senator was a KHA client and with that came responsibilities. Responsibilities that most certainly included not sleeping with the opposing party. 

Thankfully, before Ali’s mouth and libido could betray her, a black SUV with an Uber sticker in the front window pulled up next to them on the curb. Without hesitation, the feisty attorney stepped forward and yanked the back door open.

“I just want to get one thing straight,” the attorney hissed, annoyed by the smug grin the blonde was still wearing, the grin that followed the sly comments she made hours earlier throughout the meeting, “I’m not sure if you knew ahead of time who I was or if you were just thoroughly amused by holding it above my head in that meeting, and honestly, I don’t really care. I’m not going to risk my career and reputation for a fling.”

“So…is that a maybe?” the blonde questioned, sly smirk still hanging loosely on her tight lips.

Goodbye, Ashlyn,” the brunette responded with finality as she urged the blonde into the backseat.

Ashlyn obliged, but as Ali started walking back into the building she heard her name shouted. Glancing over her shoulder, she saw the blonde’s poking out of the back window, her blonde hair billowing in the wind.

“I’ll be there at nine!” the woman yelled with a wide grin.

Shaking her head, Ali groaned and pulled open the front door of the Burns Building. When the brunette made her way back up to her office, it was no surprise that Kelley was waiting for her. The freckled attorney was sitting behind her desk, feet kicked up on the cherry desk, wearing a worried look also muddled with hints of amusement.

“I know I was super drunk that night at Mayday’s but didn’t that blonde chick kind of look like…” Kelley drawled, her voice trailing off as she shot Ali an expectant look.

“It was,” Ali bit back in annoyance.

The brunette let out a ragged sigh and dropped down into the chair in front of her desk, too exhausted to try to get Kelley to move. Thankfully, the freckled attorney was quick to read the situation and slipped from the comfy leather chair behind Ali’s desk and strolled over to the decanter of whiskey. Plucking two glasses and the vase of amber liquid off the small table, she sauntered back over and quickly poured an inch in each glass.

“I mean it could be worse,” Kelley stated as she lifted her glass in the air and tilted it towards Ali. “At least she owns a killer vacation home in Santorini.”

“Yep. Could be _sooo much worse,_ Kelley,” Ali stated before rolling her eyes and downing the contents of her glass in one sip.

“Jokes aside, you know she could tank this entire case, right?” the freckled brunette questioned. “And potentially your career…”

“I know,” Ali grumbled in response, her mind reeling with all of the terrible outcomes that could blow up in her face.

“Does she have any…proof?”

“I’m sure she probably didn’t delete all those racy text messages,” the brunette groaned.

Ashlyn had a litany of receipts in her possession. There was no denying this one if the blonde decided to go public.

“Well then,” Kelley started before finishing the rest of her drink in one gulp, slamming it down on the desk, and leveling her serious gaze, “you better sort this shit out, Krieger.”

Ali sighed and dropped her head back so it hit the chair behind her. Maybe she _was_ going to have to meet for those drinks later…

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thoughts? Predictions? Think Ali will go for that drink later?


	9. NINE

It was half past nine when Ali begrudgingly strolled into the Curtis Hotel. She smoothed down her heather gray front tie shirt and checked herself out in the reflection on her phone once more before the elevator reached the top floor where the rooftop bar was located. Her black skinny jeans die perfectly into a pair of strappy black heels and the brunette was satisfied with the way her waves of chestnut hair fell perfectly over her shoulders. Touching up her mascara quickly, the attorney tucked her phone into her back pocket just as the elevator chimed and the doors opened on the 24th floor.

Taking in a deep breath, Ali surveyed the area. The brunette had never frequented this bar before but was pleasantly surprised by the atmosphere. It was absolutely mobbed and Ali could tell why. With a DJ set up behind the illuminated, sparkling crystal blue pool, playing club beats and a litany of modern bohemian style pergolas and day beds scattered along the outskirts of the pool, it seemed like a dream place to hang out during the sweltering hot summer days that D.C. was known for. The view over the city was something to behold as well. However, that view paled in comparison to the one currently capturing Ali’s attention.

Standing directly across from her on the other side of the bar was Ashlyn. The blonde was gripping a bottle of beer tightly in her hand while wearing a dubious smirk that mirrored the darkness in her eyes. Though the brunette couldn’t see her whole outfit, the black t-shirt Ashlyn was wearing was clinging tightly to her muscled frame.

One glance was all it took to ignite a fire in Ali. She knew this was a terrible idea, but she had to do it for Kelley and the firm. There were people relying on her and she owed it to them to get to the bottom of Ashlyn’s intentions. The brunette needed to know if Ashlyn was planning on using their night together and subsequent two weeks of texting—much of which contained inappropriate content—as leverage in the divorce proceedings.

Taking in a deep breath, Ali made her way through the throngs of people surrounding the bar. She approached the blonde with a tight-lipped smile that grew when Ashlyn pulled her into a tight hug and greeted her like they’d known each other for years. It was disconcerting as Ali was just there for answers, but the brunette couldn’t deny that she certainly felt the buzzing connection they had.

“Didn’t think you were going to show up,” Ashlyn acknowledged as she flagged down the bartender and ordered Ali a drink and another craft beer for herself before throwing a fifty down on the bar. “I was just going to finish this drink and then head out actually.”

“Well, I’m glad I made it in time,” Ali found herself coyly responding before her mind could even process the words.

The attorney wanted to kick herself for the comment. She wasn’t there to flirt with Ashlyn, she was there to get to sort through the mess she found herself in. Still, it was hard to fight the undeniable attraction she felt for the blonde. If the circumstances were different…

“Me too,” Ashlyn retorted with a wink before taking a sip of her drink.

The flirtatious response helped refocus Ali. It was clear what Ashlyn’s intentions were and the attorney needed to set the record straight.

“Listen, Ashlyn,” Ali began, “I’m not here for the reasons you are.”

“And _your_ reasons are?” the blonde quipped with a raised eyebrow.

“I’m a divorce attorney and you’re the wife of my client,” the attorney quickly retorted. “That right there is enough of a reason why ‘this’ can’t continue anymore. It just can’t.”

“Yet, here you are…”

Ali sighed. Ashlyn clearly wasn’t getting it. She was going to have to be more forceful.

“I’m here because I care about my firm and the people I employ there. If it got out that we…that you and I, had…”

“Amazing sex,” the blonde interjected into the silence.

“Shhh,” Ali hissed, her cheeks turning a light shade of pink that thankfully, the darkness concealed. “If that got out in the media or even to Senator Harris, it would destroy the reputation of the firm that Kelley and I worked tirelessly to build. I can’t have that happen. People are depending on me. So, if you’re going to try to hold this over my head in negotiations or go public, just please do me the decency of giving me a heads up now because I just don’t have time for it.”

Ashlyn sighed and set her beer down on the bar. Turning to give Ali her full attention, the blonde leveled their gaze. Always astute at reading people, the attorney could read the genuineness housed in her stunning hazel irises.

“Believe it or not, I’m not the person my soon-to-be ex-wife makes me out to be. I’m not here to blow up your life and ruin your reputation,” she stated earnestly.

“You already threatened to go public with the divorce in mediation today to get your way, and I could easily pick up on some of those thinly veiled threats directed at me as well. What the hell makes this any different?” Ali fired back, thrusting a finger between herself and the blonde for emphasis.

Ashlyn recoiled at the harsh insinuation and the brunette immediately felt remorseful at the way she lashed out. Her emotions were spiraling out of control, her head and her heart—well, at least her libido—getting pulled in different directions.

“I think a contentious divorce with an ex-wife is a bit different, but what the hell do I know,” the blonde bit back. "Besides, it'd just be my word against yours. I doubt they'd read too much into it. 

"You have the text exchanges between us," Ali retorted, knowing they were both smarter than that. "There's no way I could deny it. Maybe if you would just delete them I'd feel a bit better..." 

"Jesus, Ali," the blonde exhaled, "Do you really think that little of me that I would do that or has Ann just defiled my character that much? I mean seriously, your relationship with the Senator aside, have the last couple weeks of us talking meant nothing to you? You seem so quick to believe everything bad she's said about me but you don't even know the half of it..."

“I’m sorry,” Ali retorted, dropping her gaze to the floor. “I don’t know your history.”

“No, you don’t. You know the history Ann provided,” Ashlyn shot back, “which is quite a bit different from the truth I’m sure.”

“I’m not here to choose sides,” the attorney finally responded. “I’m just here to let you know that nothing can happen between us anymore. This has to be over.”

“Do you want it to be over?” the blonde questioned.

The question caught Ali off guard. The easy answer was ‘no,’ that she wanted to continue seeing the blonde and having fun. But, the rational, responsible answer was ‘yes.’ It had to be over. Ali couldn’t risk her reputation for a fling, even if that fling felt like it had the potential to be more.

“It doesn’t matter what I want,” Ali responded, though her tone was laced with uncertainty.

“Your happiness should always matter.”

At that, Ali had to laugh. How true she wished that statement could be. It simply wasn’t to be for Ali, the woman who always put everyone else above her own desires.

Opening her mouth to respond with finality before excusing herself, the brunette’s mouth dropped open.

“Holy shit,” Ali hissed as she glanced over the blonde’s shoulder at the elevator doors that had just opened.

Out of the elevator stepped a new group of patrons. Patrons that included Senator Harris. Ali couldn’t believe her eyes as the Senator and a group of younger congresswomen and men made their way towards the bar.

“Your fucking wife is here,” the attorney seethed. “Why is your wife here?” 

“ _Ex_ -wife,” the blonde retorted as she quickly grabbed Ali’s hand and pulled her down so they were squatting behind the bar. “And I guess she’s taking her strategy of ‘appealing to the younger voters’ seriously.”

Peeking up over the bar, Ali noticed that the Senator and her gaggle of colleagues had positioned themselves at a table marked **Reserved** that was situated right by the elevator. Of course, the Senator had posted up with her back to the city skyline, meaning the elevator—the only exit—was directly in her eyesight.

“They’re seated right by the elevator,” Ali whined as she sank back down besides Ashlyn. “How the hell am I supposed to get out of here?”

This time Ashlyn lifted her eyes above the bar top, quickly retreating when she saw the Senator rise from her seat and make her way over to the bar to order a round of drinks.

“She’s coming this way,” Ashlyn hissed.

Ali felt her heart lurch into her stomach as the walls came closing in on her. She wasn’t even sure how she would explain the situation to the Senator. The slipup before knowing who Ashlyn was could technically be explained away, but now, after having sat through an hours-long mediation session, there was no mistaking who this blonde was. The Senator was just about to round the corner when Ali felt a hand slip into her fingers and drag her around the bar.

“What are you doing?” Ali whispered as Ashlyn interlocked their fingers and tugged her towards a swinging set of doors marked **STOP. NOT AN EXIT. EMPLOYEES ONLY BEHIND THIS POINT.** in bold lettering.

“Just trust me,” he blonde chirped back as she tugged Ali behind her.

The blonde burst through the set of silver swinging doors and suddenly Ali found herself in the kitchen amidst a bustling group of chefs and sous chefs. Before she could even process what was happening, Ashlyn led her down a corridor to the left and made a right, left, and then another right turn before they found themselves standing in front of a set of elevator doors.

“How’d you know about this place?” the brunette questioned, her voice trailing off as Ashlyn punched in a code and the doors parted down the middle.

“I uh…I kind of designed this place,” the blonde retorted. “I’m an architect, remember?”

Suddenly, it hit Ali as she recalled their conversation at Maydays. The blonde was a big-wig architect that freelanced across the country. If she designed the new hotel, it made sense that she would know where the service elevator was located.

Stepping into the elevator, the first thing Ali realized was that it was much smaller than the regular elevator. The small silver box was maybe half the size of the elevator she had ridden up on and when Ashlyn stepped in beside her, the blonde was almost on top of her. The second thing Ali realized, was that the blonde has just saved her ass. Ashlyn easily could have let the Senator find them and left the brunette to explain what was happening, but she didn’t. Maybe Ashlyn just didn’t want to get caught by her wife or maybe the blonde was being honest when she said she wasn’t there to ruin Ali’s life and reputation.

Maybe Ali had gotten her answer or maybe Ashlyn was saving her own ass, but all the brunette could think about at the moment as the way the blonde was pressed against her. Heart hammering in her chest, Ali raised her glance from the floor to meet Ashlyn’s gaze. The architect’s eyes were dark with lust and one glance was all it took for the attorney to fall under her spell. Head hazy from either the few drinks she had to work up her courage before venturing to the bar or the dizzying effect Ashlyn had on her, Ali could feel her walls dropping one by one.

Ashlyn took a step forward, melding their bodies together as Ali found her back pressed against the elevator wall. The brunette was struggling to focus with the fire shooting through her veins as the blonde looked down with a sultry gaze and pulled her lip in between her teeth.

“Are you still sure ‘this’ has to be over?” Ashlyn questioned, her lips now hovering just above the brunette’s own waiting for permission.

As Ashlyn’s fingers grazed the soft skin just above Ali’s low rise jeans, the brunette lost all of her inhibitions.

“Fuck it,” Ali mumbled seconds before throwing caution to the wind and crashing her lips into the blondes.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I probably know the answer to this, but would you like the next chapter to pick up where this one started or shall I skip ahead....


	10. TEN

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry to keep you all hanging! Things got crazy last week and I didn't have any time to sit down and write! Anywaysss...the masses have spoken. Here's some debauchery for you all.

It was wrong. Every synapse in Ali’s brain was firing, telling the brunette to stop, that she was risking her case, her career, and her reputation, but it didn’t matter. Somehow, it just felt _right_ and that’s all the attorney focused on as she deepened the kiss, pushing her tongue past Ashlyn’s lips and into her mouth.

The blonde let out a groan, the aggressive act spurring her on and without hesitation, her hands slipped under Ali’s firm ass and lifted her up in the air. The brunette followed Ashlyn’s lead and quickly wrapped her legs around her back, melding their bodies even closer together. A fire ignited inside the attorney at every point of contact and suddenly even that wasn’t enough. She wanted more, _needed_ more.

Slipping her fingers through the blonde’s wavy hair, Ali cinched her fingers together, earning a groan of pleasure from the blonde. The move felt possessive, like Ali was staking her claim, but it was hot and Ashlyn didn’t care, instead turning her attention to the nape of Ali’s neck where she began to bite and suck at the soft, tan flesh much to the attorney’s pleasure.

“Fuck,” the brunette sighed as she wrapped her legs around the blonde to pull her in tighter, desperate for pressure where she needed it most. “Ash, please.”

Ashlyn was eager to oblige, but the chiming of the elevator broke the steamy make out session up. As quickly as Ali pounced on Ashlyn, she pushed the blonde off. The elevators opened up onto the 9th floor and Ali chest heaving, the brunette glanced back at Ashlyn quizzically.

“Two choices,” the blonde huffed, “Either we go down to the ground floor and get you an Uber home, or …we could hide out in my room a bit longer to make sure the coast is clear…”

Ali peered back at Ashlyn, noticing the restraint the woman had as she posed the question and pointed to her left. The blonde was also panting, her dark eyes locked on Ali with unbridled intensity. It was clear she didn’t think the interaction was over, but they were out of harm’s way now and the blonde wanted to give Ali an out if she wanted it. The attorney appreciated it, but she was already too far gone. They were in too deep and neither woman could deny what they truly wanted.

“Let’s go,” Ali grunted as she sprung from the elevator and grabbed Ashlyn’s hand.

The blonde didn’t need to be told twice and quickly slipped from the elevator after Ali, chasing the giggling brunette down the hallway. Ali ran past the room, but Ashlyn didn’t care, grabbing her wrist and gently pulling the brunette back towards her.

“I’m in 904,” she got out with a nod behind them before Ali crashed their lips together again, sending Ashlyn stumbling back a few steps.

It took longer than Ali appreciated for the blonde to dig her key out and open the hotel room.

“Hurry up,” the brunette purred into her ear, hands already wandering and most certainly slowing the blonde down. “I need you.”

The last words out of Ali sent a wave of adrenaline surging through the architect. Finally sliding her key through the card reader, Ashlyn was able to push open the door and stumble into the room with the brunette in tow. It was similar to their first encounter—stumbling through the door, neither being able to keep their hands off one another—but this time it felt different. Less alcohol in their system meant less awkward fumbling and before you could count to ten, both women had stripped each other of their shirts and bras before toppling into the king bed.

As they land on the soft bed, the kiss was hot and heated and ignited both of them almost instantly. As Ashlyn slowed the kiss down, Ali felt her slowly run her fingers up and down her side and knew that the blonde had it in her mind to draw this out and tease. Ali could already feel the wetness and pressure pooling between her legs and knew she couldn’t wait any longer. She pushed Ashlyn back and ripped off her own pants and panties before flinging them across the room.

Ash sat back, a bit stunned at the way Ali was staring at her with a look of untamed desire. The brunette knew what she wanted and certainly wasn’t afraid to ask for it—or demand it. Before she could even react, Ali was on top of her, ripping the blonde’s shirt over her head, followed by her bra. She set her mouth to work on Ashlyn’s nipples, biting down on one with a careful roughness and then rolling her tongue around it in smooth circles to soothe the skin, while her hand massaged the other one.

Ashlyn let out a low moan in response and Ali knew she had the blonde just where she wanted her. The brunette then began to trail her lips up to the architect’s neck, finding a resting place right at the crook of her neck. She ran her tongue from there up to the blonde’s ear before taking her lobe in her mouth and pulling it gently with her teeth.

Ashlyn’s hands began to wander in excitement, but not to where Ali needed them most. She released her grip on the blonde’s breast and slid it down to interlace it with Ashlyn’s. 

Ash smiled, thinking that Ali is ready to slow it down, but then she felt Ali moving her hand down to her center, and heard her whisper, “I need you now,” in her ear. That’s all Ashlyn needed to hear and in an instant, Ali was flat on her back as Ashlyn assumed control again. 

_This is more like it,_ Ali thought, moaning as she felt Ashlyn slide her fingers through her soaking folds, coating them. “Don’t stop, the brunette demanded in a breathless whisper as she tried to grind down on the blonde’s fingers. 

You’re already so wet for me, Ali,” Ashlyn hissed, smirking when Ali bucked up into her again, knowing the attorney was thoroughly enjoying herself. 

“Ashlyn, please,” Ali begged, too far gone to try and maintain any semblance of control. 

Without wasting another second, Ash drove two fingers deep into Ali. She moaned and pulled Ashlyn in hungrily for a kiss. Within seconds, their rhythm matched up and the pair were moving together as one, both working towards orgasm as the brunette had slipped her hand between Ashlyn’s legs. As Ali raked her nails down Ashlyn’s back trying to pull her closer and get her deeper, Ash plunged her fingers faster into Ali as she quickly hurls towards an orgasm. 

Ashlyn finally broke off from the kiss and Ali let out a groan at the loss of contact until promising that she wanted to taste the brunette instead. Without hesitating, the blonde made her way down Ali’s body and settled in between her legs. She could feel the brunette tightening around her fingers and with a few quick flicks of her tongue on Ali’s clit, the brunette was spilling out onto her face and fingers as she hurled curse words while riding out an orgasm. 

“Fuck, Ash,” the brunette managed to get out through staggered breaths. “That was hot.” 

“It’s like we keep getting better with practice,” Ashlyn cheekily countered. “Just wait until next time.” 

Spent, the brunette dropped down onto the sheets. She thought to correct the blonde that there won’t be next time but didn’t have the heart or the energy. Ashlyn’s arm was still wrapped underneath her, but Ali was too tired to care. It had been a long emotional day and everything was starting to catch up to her. Without another word, the attorney slowly nodded off, clutched tightly in the blonde’s arms.


	11. ELEVEN

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Glad you’re all enjoying this! Sorry for making you wait but things got a bit hectic at work so it’s taking me longer to get these out than I want :/ Hopefully they’re worth the wait and you’ll stick with me!

Ali woke up the next morning to bright beams of light streaming into the room. Warm rays of sunshine kissed the tip of her nose and splashed across her tan face, gently rousing the brunette from her sleep. She blinked a few times, adjusting to the brightness before turning and burying her head into the plush feather pillows.

Without unburying her head, Ali began to bed, but the other side of it was bare. The sound of water running in the background alerted her to someone’s presence in the shower and the brunette blew out a sigh of relief knowing that she had a few moments to spare before having to interact with the blonde.

It was bad enough that she slipped up and slept with the blonde again—despite how hot and steamy it was—but to make matters worse, the attorney had stayed over. That wasn’t something Ali often did, as it made things seem more intimate than they really were.

Sleepovers meant awkward conversations over coffee in the morning and the tension of ‘what happens now’ that both people thought, but neither wanted to verbalize. Unfortunately, Ali had been too exhausted and honestly, too comfortable, the night before to slip out of the bed after Ashlyn fell asleep. Quite frankly, she had fallen asleep right after they finished and not woken up until that very moment so the opportunity to leave hadn’t even arisen. Thankfully, with Ashlyn in the shower, that afforded Ali enough time to scurry out undetected. 

Slipping from the bed, Ali began rummaging through the pile of clothes on the floor. She quickly located her underwear, pants, and shirt, slipping the bottoms on quickly before turning her focus back to finding her bra. After a minute or two of searching, the brunette gave up and threw her shirt on, deciding the bra would just be collateral damage.

She plucked her heels and purse off the floor before making her way to the hotel door. Out of the corner of her eye, something caught Ali’s attention. Ashlyn’s phone. This was her chance—and probably the only one she would ever get—to delete the incriminating messages from the past few weeks. It wasn’t eight or ethical, but there was too much at stake for Ali to care.

Pausing, the brunette cast a glance over her shoulder at the bathroom where the shower was still running. Figuring she had a moment, Ali grabbed the phone off the wooden desk and clicked the home button. The phone lit up and Ali could see there was a text from Denise. The preview read ‘Don’t forget the interview with Cindy and CNN today at noon. Please don’t be late or…’

The sight sent chills through the brunette. Ashlyn _was_ going to go public with everything. _And_ in an interview with Cindy at CNN just like she taunted the day prior. In fact, the blonde probably had the interview planned all along, ready to spring it on them to gain the upper hand in the divorce.

Enraged, Ali knew what else was likely to come up during the interview and she needed to delete all proof of it. Clicking on the home button again, the brunette was met with a password screen. Grumbling under her breath, Ali began typing in the most obvious passcodes.

_1-2-3-4_

_9-8-7-6_

_1-1-1-1_

Nothing was working and she was just about to start getting creative with combinations when someone cleared their throat directly behind her. Turning, Ali found herself face to face with Ashlyn. The blonde was dripping wet, naked aside from the towel wrapped tightly around her chiseled torso.

“Can I help you?” the blonde asked, tone dripping with irritation as she plucked the phone from Ali’s hand.

Caught red-handed, Ali wasn’t sure what to do. On one hand, she was in the wrong and invading Ashlyn’s privacy. On the other hand, the blonde had lied to her and was planning to blow everything up in the media. Choosing her words carefully, Ali leveled her gaze, refusing to back down.

“Yeah, you can give me your passcode so I can delete all the texts and pictures between us,” the brunette replied crossly.

“I wasn’t going to use those against you, Ali,” Ashlyn retorted with a slight twinge of sadness that was also muddled with annoyance.

“Bullshit,” the fiery attorney shot back. “Just like you aren’t going to that interview with Cindy at CNN at noon?”

Clicking on her phone, Ashlyn read the text preview from her attorney and let out a sigh.

“We planned that interview a few days ago in case things didn’t go well at mediation,” the blonde responded. “I was going to tell Denise to cancel the appearance this morning.”

“Sure you were,” Ali scoffed.

The brunette’s accusatory tone was rubbing Ashlyn the wrong way. Despite Ali working for the other side, this was how political—or any high profile divorce—went. The brunette should know better. The only difference between this case and the countless others Ali had taken on before, was that she was intimately involved with her client’s spouse.

“What do you want from me, Ali?” Ashlyn fired back hotly, throwing her arms out in exasperation. “You want our relationship—whatever that may be—to have nothing to do with this case, but then you get mad at me for doing things—normal things in a divorce proceeding, might I add—that might hurt your case. You’re a divorce attorney, and a damn good one at that, you know how this goes.”

Ashlyn had a point, but Ali still couldn’t reign in her anger. Somehow, the brunette still felt she was being played, like the walls were closing in and it was only a matter of time before she was crushed by the weight of it all.

“You know what, Ashlyn,” Ali sighed, “Do whatever you want. I’m done caring and I sure as hell can’t trust you anymore. Last night was a mistake and one that will never happen again.”

“If you’re worried about you and I going public, I won’t let it happen,” Ashlyn replied.

“No, not until it benefits your case,” the attorney bit back.

“I already deleted the texts and pictures this morning,” the blonde quickly countered.

“Bullshit,” Ali scoffed, not believing a word the architect said after what she had seen for herself that morning.

Ashlyn stepped forward and held out her phone. When Ali’s chestnut eyes narrowed in confusion, she clarified.

“1-1-2-4…the passcode. See for yourself.”

Slowly taking the phone from the blonde, Ali typed in the passcode and was given instant access to the contents of Ashlyn’s phone. Sure enough, when she typed in her name and number, there were no texts or contacts to be found. The phone had been wiped of any sign of the opposing attorney and finally, Ali was able to breathe a sigh of relief. At least her reputation and firm were safe—for the moment.

“So, are we good now?” Ashlyn probed as she plucked the phone back from Ali with a sense of irritation.

The brunette pondered for a moment before letting out a deep exhale. She pulled her eyes from Ashlyn’s outstretched hand to meet the blonde’s pensive gaze. As much as she wanted to continue seeing the blonde, Ali had the clean slate she’d been seeking. Ashlyn had nothing to hold over her head and the threat of damaging her reputation was gone. The last thing the brunette needed to do, was fall further down the rabbit hole. Maybe in a different lifetime, things would have turned out differently, but that wasn’t the case. Ali had a duty to her client, one that didn’t involve sleeping with said client’s wife.

Mustering up the courage, Ali nodded but didn’t feel the elation that Ashlyn clearly did as a smile split across the blonde’s face.

“Just because I said we’re good doesn’t mean this can continue,” the brunette stated evenly. “I have a job to do and I can’t do anything to jeopardize that. Please don’t contact me anymore. You can expect the same from me.”

“Don’t you ever get to be happy?” Ashlyn questioned earnestly as Ali began shuffling towards the door.

Exhaling deeply, Ali turned back towards the blonde and simply shook her head, “I’ll just be happy when all this is over.”

With that, the brunette tugged open the hotel door and slipped into the hallway, leaving Ashlyn standing in the room alone as she pulled the door closed with a slam.


	12. TWELVE

“Earth to Aliiii,” Kelley sang as she lightly whacked the older brunette on the forehead with a folder.

Ali immediately refocused, casting a glare at the freckled attorney before dropping her eyes back to the papers sprawled out on the conference table in front of them.

“Let me guess,” the younger attorney hummed, “Are you thinking of a certain blonde?”

“I told you that’s over, Kelley,” the brunette bit back.

The irritation in Ali’s voice was evident and Kelley winced slightly. The younger attorney was the first to be informed of her partner’s ‘clean slate,’ but it honestly felt like anything but. To say Ali had been on edge lately was an understatement. Kelley wasn’t sure if the sour mood was a result of the increased workload they found themselves dealing with or the fact that her partner had broken things off with Ashlyn. Kelley felt for Ali, she really did, but she needed her partner focused and that meant addressing the elephant in the room once and for all.

“Just because you ‘ended’ things doesn’t mean the memory of her just disappears,” the freckled woman offered. “I know it was short-lived, but it seemed like what you guys had was pretty intense. It can’t be easy to just forget her like that, especially when you’re still dealing with the divorce case.”

“I’m fine, Kelley,” Ali retorted with a hint of sass in her voice.

Kelley studied the other woman for a minute. Ali kept her eyes trained on the documents scattered in front of her, occasionally jotting down some notes. While she appeared her normal self on the outside, the freckled attorney could tell something was off. A few weeks prior, she remembered how excited Ali had been, storming into her office to tell the younger woman all about how she had the texts erased and they were finally in the clear. However, as the days passed, it became clear that the excitement dwindled as reality set in. They both knew Ali was anything but fine, but the brunette had yet to really talk about her feelings.

As much as the freckled woman wanted to call Ali out on something she obviously had yet to work through, Kelley could tell the brunette was in no mood for a conversation on the subject. Instead, she hummed a simple acceptance and turned her own attention back to the case files they were sifting through.

About twenty minutes later, Heather knocked lightly on the door to the conference room and cracked it open a few inches.

“What’s up, Heather?” Ali questioned as she pulled her eyes up from the paper clutched in her hand. “Come on in.”

The slightly old secretary smiled and slipped all the way into the room, closing the gap between the women.

“Senator Harris’s assistant is on line two,” Heather explained. “She said it’s urgent and Ann would like to come in right away to discuss a few things. She’s just wrapping up lunch down the street and can be here in twenty minutes.”

Ali let out a deep sigh. The last thing she wanted was to deal with the Senator, who as it turns out, was a client who wanted to be informed of every single aspect of the case. Most of the Krieger, O’Hara & Associates high profile clients didn’t care to be bothered by the mundane. Whether it was the Senator’s personality to micromanage or simply nerves that the divorce case would go public and blow up her reelection campaign, Ali wasn’t sure. All she knew was that her phone kept blowing up with calls and her calendar quickly filled with meetings. It certainly didn’t hurt the company—as they billed hourly—but it was draining on the brunette.

Still, Ali had a job to do and nodded back at Heather.

“Tell her that’s no problem and then send one of the interns to help us clean this conference room up so we can just meet in here.”

Heather nodded and slipped from the room to do as she was instructed. The attorneys bantered back and forth, continuing to discuss case matters as Mal, one of their younger interns, scurried into the room looking bright-eyed and bushy-tailed as she began gathering up the records Kelley and Ali had been going over for another case.

“Anything else?” Mal questioned as she hoisted the box of files off the table effortlessly.

Ali smiled back at the attractive and eager intern and nodded.

“Actually, can you please bring in the Harris case files? And then maybe a pitcher of water and some glasses if it’s not too much trouble?”

“Of course!” the intern chirped as she scurried out of the room.

“She’s cute,” Kelley stated as the door closed behind their newest intern.

“Oh, and _I’m_ the HR problem waiting to happen?” Ali chuckled as she sat back down in her chair and leveled a poignant glance at her partner.

“I was just making a statement, jeez,” Kelley retorted. “You know I would never.”

“I know, I know,” Ali hummed as she began swiveling in her seat. “Just fun to tease you.”

The freckled attorney stuck out her tongue at the brunette, eliciting a laugh just as Mal came darting back into the room with the Harris case files. Just behind her was another intern named Rose carrying a pitcher of water and six glasses. The younger intern had pale skin dotted with a few freckles and Ali smiled as she noted how nervous they appeared.

“I…I didn’t know how many glasses you needed so I just…I brought a bunch,” Rose stammered as she set them down on the table. “Do you…do you want me to fill the glasses up?”

“I think we’re okay,” Ali replied with a kind smile, remembering how nervous she had been when she interned at her first big law firm. “But why don’t you two grab a seat and stay for the meeting. You can take some notes for us.”

“For…for the meeting with Senator Harris?” Mallory retorted, wide-eyed with her mouth agape at the thought of meeting with a Senator.

“Sure, why not,” Kelley chimed. “I mean you’re here to learn so what better way is there than to actually sit in on meetings like this.”

The interns look at each other with wide-eyed gazes for a moment before nodding eagerly. After informing their bosses that they needed to get their legal pads and pens before the meeting, the two dashed out of the room in a tizzy.

“Do you remember being that young and eager?” Ali asked with a chuckle as she began filling the glasses with water and distributing them around the table.

“I seem to recall a certain Ali Krieger literally tripping over herself and taking a tumble when we interned together at Grant & Associates back in law school,” Kelley shot back.

The cheeky comment earned the freckled attorney a stern glare, but eventually, Ali cracked a smile at the memory. Her cheeks flushed a shade of pink for a moment that she tried to reign in as Mal and Rose came strolling back in.

The two interns got settled on the other side of the table and not even five minutes later, Heather knocked on the door to inform them that the Senator was here. Ali nodded and instructed her secretary to see the Senator in.

A few minutes later after some brief introductions, Ali took a deep breath and cast a glance across the table at Senator Harris.

“So, what can we do for you today, Senator Harris? There aren’t too many updates since our meeting a couple of days ago.”

“I’ve heard some rumblings around town…” the Senator began, “rumors about Ashlyn and me. I presume those are not coming from your firm?”

The Senator cast a glance to her side at the young interns sitting on either side of her before peering back at Ali. The brunette didn’t appreciate the insinuation that her employees weren’t trustworthy but knew Ann was just being paranoid.

“I can assure you nothing is coming from us,” Ali stated firmly as she stared poignantly back at the Senator. “As for your wife and her attorney, I can’t be sure. We have made it explicitly clear that mediation only continues with continued adherence to the Non-Disclosure Agreement you two have in place.”

Breathing out a sigh of relief the Senator nodded in understanding.

“Well, you never know with Ashlyn. She’s careless and who knows what she’s up to while she’s gallivanting around the country. She probably has a woman in every city,” the Senator scoffed. “There’s no telling who knows about this.”

Ali’s stomach clenched at the attack on the blonde’s character. From her time with Ashlyn, it seemed clear that the blonde was a one-woman kind of person. Perhaps the Senator knew something different than Ali did, but the brunette was also aware of the dalliance Ann had been having with her assistant. Biting her tongue, the brunette simply forced a smile on her face and nodded, reminding herself that _Ann_ was her client and that had to come first. Character assassinations aside, Ann was her responsibility, not Ashlyn’s honor.

“You know how the Hill is, Senator,” Ali replied. “Rumors float around all the time and how many of them have any basis?”

“True,” Ann hummed. “well, that’s not the entire reason I’m here anyway.”

“What else can we do for you, Senator Harris?” Kelley responded, hands crossed on top of a notepad that had nothing scribbled on it. As usual, this meeting seemed to have little point.

“Ashlyn has Denise coming to visit the Florida home this weekend to go through everything. I won’t be able to make it since Congress is back in session, but I want you there to make sure they don’t rip me off.”

The Senator pointed at Ali and the brunette froze. The last thing she wanted to do was go to Florida to the home Ashlyn and her wife had shared for years. Especially after the way she had so abruptly ended things between them.

“I’m sorry Senator, but I think Kelley might be better suited for this and I have court Monday morning that I should be prepping for.”

It wasn’t a complete lie, Ali _did_ have court Monday morning, but it was a minor case that one of the associates could easily handle for her. Still, the brunette hoped it would get her out of what would certainly be a nightmare.

“Nonsense,” the Senator huffed. “With what I’m paying this firm, I should be able to have _both_ of you there if I so desired. I’m sure an associate can handle that case Monday morning. You’ve been lead on this case and I want _you_ there Ali.”

There wasn’t really a choice. When a high profile client demanded something—like a spur of the moment meeting in fifteen minutes—they got what they wanted. It’s one of the reasons Krieger, O’Hara & Associates had become such a well-respected firm. They did whatever it took to get the job done, bending over backward for clients.

Forcing a smile on to her face, Ali leveled her glance with the Senator, “Great! When do I leave?”

“Ashlyn is scheduled to be out of town this weekend, but Denise will be there at 9 am on Saturday morning to take inventory and begin negotiations.”

Still smiling—though from the other side of the table it looked more like a slight grimace, Ali nodded. As enticing as Florida was, spending her weekend with Denise sifting through record collections and ornate furniture seemed like the last thing Ali wanted. Thankfully, at least Ashlyn wouldn’t be there. She’d be spared at least one awkward interaction. The same couldn’t be said for the elder attorney that treated Ali like a little sibling who wasn’t cool enough to hang with the big kids in the sandbox.

“Perfect,” the brunette beamed. “I guess I’ll start packing…”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A little calm before the storm. How do you all predict this little Florida trip is going to play out??


	13. THIRTEEN

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry for the delay! Hope you enjoy :)

Ali sighed as the man sitting next to her once again got up to use the bathroom. As he scooted past her into the aisle for what seemed like his eighth time during their short 2 and a half hour flight she thought of suggesting that he not consume 4 beers next time but bit her tongue, instead vowing to get the window seat next time. Despite sitting in first class, it had been a less than glamourous encounter.

Still, the brunette contemplated whether being on a never-ending flight with her current seatmate would actually be better than what was actually waiting for her on the ground in Florida. Denise would be waiting for her. Denise and a Harris household of items that needed to be inventoried. It was certainly not what Ali wanted to be doing that weekend, but it’s what her client requested and what the Senator wanted, the Senator got.

A few minutes later as Ali was flipping to the last page of her magazine, the flight attendant came over the loudspeaker to inform the cabin that they were beginning their descent. As the passengers around began closing up their tray tables and stowing their laptops, her seatmate, Greg as he had introduced himself earlier, came scurrying back from the bathroom, excusing himself as he clamored over the seats to get back into his own. Rolling her eyes, Ali tucked her magazine back into her oversized purse and nudged it back underneath the seat before buckling her seat belt.

Leaning her head back on the headrest, the attorney turned up the volume of her music and let out a deep breath. Chaos was ahead so the least she could do as the plane dropped below 30,000 feet was have a few moments of peace.

Unfortunately, the calm ended just ten minutes later as the plane touched down on the tarmac. A few people around the plane began clapping as the pilot guided the plane towards the gate, which irked the brunette, but in response, she simply turned up her music and began fussing with her purse. She was sitting in the second row so she wanted to be ready when the cabin doors opened and the passengers began the mad rush to the baggage claim where they’d all be stuck waiting some more.

Sure enough, as Ali walked through baggage claim on the way to get her rental car, gaggles of people swarmed the area, sitting impatiently as they waited for the bags to begin. Shaking her head, the brunette turned her attention to the signs overhead. She strolled up to the Hertz counter, handing over her reservation paperwork, ID, and company credit card. With countless work trips under her belt, the attorney knew how it went and less than 15 minutes later she was driving out of the Melbourne Airport behind the wheel of a white BMW.

As she made a turn onto A1A, the brunette’s cell phone began ringing. Already having it programmed to Bluetooth since she knew how frequently calls came in, Ali answered the call in hands-free and soon Kelley’s voice was ringing through her rental car.

“How was that flight? Enjoying the beautiful Florida weather already?” Kelley prodded, peppering the brunette with question after question even though it was only 9 in the morning and she doubted the freckled attorney would be up after the late night out they had the prior evening.

“Jesus, Kelley, tone it down a bit,” Ali playfully chastised while adjusting the rearview mirror.

“Sorry,” the other woman mumbled. “I miss you already though.”

“I’ve been gone for 3 hours,” Ali chuckled. “And it’s Saturday so we wouldn’t even be at the office today. Just be glad you weren’t sent on this bitch errand by the Senator.”

“True,” Kelley snorted, thankful she wasn’t about to spend her weekend categorizing art, furniture, and apparently a very extensive DVD collection. “You heading to the Harris’ house already?”

“After I stop at Starbucks and get a grande coffee I am,” the older brunette explained. “I don’t even know how I managed to get up this morning. What time did we get in last night?”

“ _Late_ ,” Kelley responded. “Speaking of…I’m going back to sleep. Just wanted to make sure you landed safely.”

“Gee thanks,” Ali retorted. “Enjoy your nap, Princess.”

After mumbling a quick goodbye and making Ali promise to get her a souvenir, the brunette hung up and refocused on driving. The cars built-in GPS said it was just a couple miles up the A1A and thankfully there was a giant Starbucks sign looming ahead. Making a quick detour, the brunette picked herself up a grande black coffee to help her stay awake and then pulled back onto the coastal highway, admiring the beach stretching on as far as the eye could see.

“Of course they’d live right on the beach,” the brunette mumbled to herself as she turned right into a massive cobblestone driveway.

Thankfully the black wrought iron gate was already open so she didn’t need to page in. As she pulled down the short driveway, Ali noted the black convertible parked to the side of the house. At least Denise was there already and wouldn’t leave Ali waiting.

Parking the car beside the Corvette, the brunette slipped out of the BMW and began admiring the house. It had the feel of a Spanish colonial home, with beautiful tan stucco and wood accents. A ceramic tile roof covered the entire house and decorative vines snaked up the left side. It was the perfect mix of beachy and historic and Ali had to admit that it put her D.C. condo to shame.

After grabbing her purse from the backseat, Ali rounded her car and walked towards the massive custom-wooden front door. It was truly stunning, complete with black iron accents and a bold lion door knocker. Pulling in a deep settling breath to calm herself, Ali knocked on the door and waited. Thirty seconds passed, so the brunette tried again, this time wrapping her knuckles on the door a bit more emphatically. After another thirty seconds or so, Ali tried the handle. It was open and the brunette figured Denise must be in another wing of the massive house and could hear her. Either that or the other attorney was already playing games with her. The irked attorney wouldn’t put it past her adversary.

Pushing the door open, the brunette took a step inside and called out.

“HELLO?” Ali chimed. “Denise are you in here?”

Still no sign of Denise, but Ali knew the door wouldn’t be open unless Denise had been there to unlock it since everyone else was out of town. Figuring she would take forever to find the other woman, Ali pulled out her cell phone.

“Hello, this is the office of Pennington, Henderson and Wilson. How may I help you?”

“This is Ali Krieger. Can you please push me to Denise Henderson’s cellphone? I’m supposed to be meeting her at the Harris’s Florida house right now.”

“Oh…” the secretary squeaked, “Um…Denise isn’t in Florida. She had to cancel her flight yesterday at the last minute because something came up. She didn’t inform you?”

“No, she didn’t _inform_ me,” Ali sniped back, irritation already bubbling up in her throat as she strolled into the massive living room that had floor to ceiling windows overlooking the ocean. “Send her personal contact to my email. I will be following up with her.”

The secretary fumbled, trying to explain that she wasn’t allowed to do that, but Ali made it poignantly clear that she needed to as she was currently in Florida, waiting for Denise. As the secretary mumbled an apology, she informed Ali she’d send over the contact and then quickly hung up, not wanting to be scolded any longer.

“You’ve got to be fucking me,” the brunette shouted as she slammed her phone back into her purse.

Letting out a slew of curse words, Ali turned, running smack into a puzzled looking, dripping wet, half-naked blonde.

“Ashlyn?”


	14. FOURTEEN

Ali stood stark still, blinking as her eyes scanned the blonde’s toned physique. This wasn’t supposed to happen. Ashlyn wasn’t supposed to be there. _Denise_ was supposed to be there and even though the opposing counsel didn’t show up, Ashlyn _definitely_ wasn’t supposed to be there. Senator Harris had made that pointedly clear when she sent Ali on the errand and it was the only fact that made the trip bearable.

But still, there Ali was, standing in the middle of the Harris household, staring at a half-naked, dripping wet Ashlyn. The blonde was wearing a towel loosely wrapped around her waist and a tight black sports bra. Locks of wet golden hair were draped over her shoulders, hiding the smattering of freckles that Ali remembered were there from their last tryst. She looked just as good as Ali remembered, if not better, and words wouldn’t even formulate in her mind. Finally, the brunette took a deep breath and tried to settle her thoughts.

“What the hell are you doing here?” Ali hissed, dropping her eyes to the floor so she was no longer ogling the blonde.

“What am I doing in my own home?” Ashlyn chuckled, though the brunette didn’t find it humorous.

The attorney let out a deep sigh and shook her head.

“Denise was supposed to be here, not you. But Denise is a no show and here you are…”

“Denise canceled her flight last night and told me we were postponing until Monday morning so I pushed my work trip back a day. She said her office informed you…”

Ali was enraged, but the blonde clearly looked just as surprised and caught off guard.

“Does it look like they informed me?” the brunette countered heatedly, tossing her hands out wide emphatically for emphasis.

“Guess not,” the blonde mumbled. “Sorry about that…”

“It’s fine,” Ali huffed as she glanced up to meet Ashlyn’s gaze while trying to avoid looking where she shouldn’t.

Ashlyn suddenly realized from Ali’s awkwardness that she was slightly predisposed and grabbed a heather gray t-shirt off the counter beside her, fumbling to quickly pull it over her head.

“Sorry, I uh…I was just out surfing and rinsed off in the outdoor shower…”

Ali could breathe a sigh of relief now that the blonde’s toned abs weren’t on full display, but was too frazzled to think about anything but getting out of the Harris household.

“I uh…I should get going then,” the brunette offered, giving the blonde a tight-lipped smile before spinning towards the front door.

“Wait!” Ashlyn called out as Ali took a few steps away.

The attorney turned and glanced back expectantly, waiting for the blonde to say something else. Apparently, Ashlyn hadn’t thought before she spoke because the Senator’s wife was just staring back with her mouth slightly agape, wracking her mind for the right words to say.

“Can you stay for a bit?” the blonde finally blurted out.

“I can’t,” Ali shook her head, determined to keep her resolve in check. “I have to go rearrange my travel plans and find a hotel for the next two nights. This was originally supposed to be a one-day trip for me…until Denise screwed me over.”

“Why don’t you stay here?” Ashlyn offered.

The words were coupled with an awkward casual shrug that Ali would find cute in any other circumstance. In any other circumstance that didn’t involve her divorce client’s wife—whom she had already slept with multiple times—offering her house up for the next two nights. The brunette almost responded with a resounding yes, but bit her tongue and shook her head.

“You already know the answer to that question…” Ali sighed. “I can’t do this. _We_ can’t do this.”

Exhaling, Ashlyn took a step forward, her hazel eyes staring intently at the fumbling brunette. The tension in the room was palpable and both women were well aware of it. Whatever was between them wasn’t finished and they both knew it.

“Put all of the work bullshit aside,” Ashlyn urged as she crept closer, “What do you really want, Ali?”

“It’s not that easy,” the attorney explained, dropping her eyes to the floor to divert her gaze. “I can’t just separate the two. The rules don’t allow it.”

Ashlyn took another step forward so she was now toe to toe with brunette. Gently, the blonde extended her hand and with two fingers, gently nudged Ali’s chin up so their gaze was interlocked once again. Ali could see something in the blonde’s shining hazel irises. There was desire, sure, but the shimmering gold flecks dispersed amongst her irises was something more. The brunette couldn’t quite get a read on it, but also couldn’t bring herself to look away. Ashlyn absolutely captivated her. Smelling like a mix of ocean air and citrus, the blonde was appealing to the eye, but there was more to her. Every time they were together, Ali learned something that intrigued her even more. If they were in any other situation, the brunette wouldn’t hold herself back from finding out what was really between them.

“Fuck the rules,” the blonde countered. “What do you want, Ali?”

Truthfully, Ali knew exactly what she wanted. She wanted Ashlyn in every sense of the word. Heart hammering in her chest, the brunette quickly closed the gap between them, throwing her arms around the blonde and pulling her into a chaste, heated kiss. Letting out a soft moan, Ashlyn easily fell into the kiss, her hands snaking down Ali’s torso to grip her lower back as their tongues battled for dominance.

It was becoming hot and heavy all too quickly as the two stumbled towards the couch and when the blonde’s hands slipped down to Ali’s ass to grip it firmly and lift her into the air, the alarm bells started ringing and the attorney’s eyes jerked wide open. With a gentle push to the blonde’s chest, Ali pulled back from the kiss and dropped her gaze to the floor in embarrassment. The brunette couldn’t believe she had cracked so easily and more than that, felt ashamed that she was so carelessly playing with the blonde’s emotions.

“It doesn’t matter what I want, Ashlyn,” the attorney sighed, taking a step backward to put some more distance between them. “I’m sorry, but I can’t do this.”

“Okay,” the blonde conceded dejectedly, taking a step back herself as she wiped the wetness from her lips with the sleeve of her shirt. “I understand. I just…I miss you.”

The words felt like a dagger to Ali’s heart. Truthfully, she missed the blonde too. She missed the good morning texts, the work venting sessions they would have via text, and of course the naughty pictures that would work her up. It wasn’t easy by any means to cut the blonde out so suddenly, just as it wasn’t easy for Ashlyn to utter those words. Ali knew it was more to Ashlyn than just sex and the brunette had to admit that she felt the same.

“I miss you too…” the brunette admitted in a defeated tone. “Maybe in a different world, things could have worked out…” 

“I’ve been told Florida _is_ a different world,” Ashlyn countered with a slight smirk.

“Ashlyn,” Ali groaned.

“I’m serious,” the blonde clarified while taking a step forward. “We’re in Satellite Beach, not D.C. There’s no paparazzi. There’s no media presence or hordes of people with smartphones looking to get a snapshot of someone rich and famous. Half the people with houses on this beach are snowbirds who aren’t even here. This is as different of a world as we’ll ever get. Why not enjoy it while we can?”

“That’s not what I meant,” Ali stated while shaking her head. Still, the brunette didn’t back away or thwart the blonde’s advances.

“But I mean it,” Ashlyn explained. “I’m not saying you have to stay the night or anything, but why rush out? We clearly enjoy each other’s company—well I enjoy yours even though you’re usually throwing every excuse at me as to why you need to flee, but that’s another story…Can’t you just…I don’t know. Stay for breakfast?”

Ali’s mind was racing a mile a minute as she peered back at the blonde. The logical side of the attorney’s brain actually agreed with everything Ashlyn said. There wasn’t a throng of paparazzi at every corner. No one in Satellite Beach even knew who she was, let alone that the Senator and Ashlyn were even getting divorced. News may travel fast in D.C. but she was in the South now and everything slowed down. They were in a sleepy beach town with no neighbors around. No one knew where she was or who she was with and it seemed highly unlikely that anyone would ever find out.

Though running still seemed like the best option, was that really what she wanted? Of course not.

“Breakfast?” Ali responded skeptically, raising an eyebrow as she peered back at the blonde whose chest was still heaving from their heavy make-out session.

“I make a mean ham and cheese omelet,” Ashlyn replied, putting her hands up in the air to protest the innocence of her statement. “And there’s an espresso machine…”

Sighing, Ali felt her walls slowly start to crumble. Every interaction with the blonde up to this point had been sexually charged—aside from the mediation meeting a Krieger O’Hara & Associates for obvious reasons—but this truly felt innocent. Make out aside, Ali could read the innocence in Ashlyn’s expression and figured a little breakfast wouldn’t hurt. Besides, how could she turn down the killer ocean view and espresso machine?

“Fine,” the brunette finally retorted. “But I’m just staying for breakfast…”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hope you’re all still enjoying! I know these have been shorter chapters, but it’s either shorter more frequent chapters or longer waits until I get time to write lengthier chapters. Let me know what you prefer!!


	15. FIFTEEN

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks for your feedback last chapter! Seems like the majority of you wanted more frequent updates in favor of lengthier ones that come less frequently so I’ll continue with that. Hope you all had a nice weekend!!

Breakfast turned out to be more than just breakfast, but neither woman was complaining. Ali had to admit that Ashlyn’s omelet was by far one of the best she had in some time, although she was slightly suspicious that it was due to the massive amount of cheese the blonde whipped into it. That and the side of crispy bacon with a fresh espresso certainly didn’t detract from the experience either.

Despite the delicious meal she was fed, Ali was more captivated by the company. This was the first time she and Ashlyn had really allowed themselves to just _be_. All of the other encounters were drunken or sexual filled tension nights where they simply couldn’t resist the urge. This was different though and the attorney couldn’t ignore how natural it felt.

Sitting at a custom made wooden table on the sprawling back porch that overlooked an in-ground pool complete with a waterfall and built-in submerged lounge chairs, and a stunning view of the roaring ocean, Ali felt more at ease than she had in quite some time. It was evident in the relaxed look on Ashlyn’s face that the blonde felt it too.

Before Ali knew it, her plate was completely clean and she just sat staring out at the ocean. It was a beautiful picturesque morning and the brunette let out a sigh and tilted her head back to allow the sun to wash over her face. After a moment, she could feel a set of eyes on her and figured Ashlyn was no longer ogling the ocean view.

“What?” the brunette questioned as she dropped her chin and met Ashlyn’s glassy gaze.

“You’re so beautiful,” the blonde replied.

“Is that why you’re staring so intently?” the brunette retorted before turning her gaze back to the rippling ocean.

“There’s that…and I honestly just can’t believe that you’re here…”

“I can’t believe it either,” Ali responded, eyes still locked intently on the ocean.

The brunette was being completely serious. Every fiber of her being knew this was wrong and could have absolutely catastrophic ramifications if word got out, but somehow, she couldn’t fight the attraction between them. It wasn’t just physical attraction either. Ali honestly felt like she could sit there and talk with Ashlyn all day. Whatever was happening between them was easy and the attorney was starting to feel like she just couldn’t get enough of the spunky blonde.

“I see you checking out that ocean,” Ashlyn acknowledged, “Interested in surfing lesson?”

The way the blonde popped the question was so cavalier like it was a given that Ali would say yes.

“First of all, I believe I said I was staying for _just_ breakfast,” the fiery attorney shot back, her gaze finally shirting to meet the blonde’s hazel eyes, “And second of all, who said I need _lessons_?”

The shocked, slightly alarmed expression Ashlyn was wearing melted slightly when Ali’s straight-faced gaze turned into a sly smirk. Letting out a deep exhale so her shoulders dropped in a calming manner, Ashlyn grinned back. While Ali certainly looked to be the athletic type, the blonde would never have pictured her to be a surfer. The perplexed look certainly gave that away.

“My parents split when I was younger,” Ali shrugged. “My dad lived down here so my brother Kyle and I would spend most of our summers down here.”

“Would you look at that,” the blonde grinned. “I’ve got a couple of extra boards and a wetsuit if you’re down?”

There was no pressure or assumption in the question this time around. Ashlyn simply threw the offer out there with a hopeful glimmer in her eye. Ali contemplated it for a moment, but all it took was one look back out at the ocean for her mind to be made up.

“Fine, but after that, I really have to get going…” the attorney responded.

With a knowing smirk, Ashlyn nodded and stood up to begin clearing off the table.

And that’s how it went for the rest of the day. After they finished surfing, Ali reiterated that after she showered and cleaned up, she’d have to go. But then, after the brunette showered and got cleaned up, there was an offer for lunch, which Ali certainly couldn’t turn down. And then a massive thunderstorm rolled through and the brunette couldn’t pass up an opportunity to watch the lighting stretching down from the sky and dissipating into the ocean. That was followed by dinner and at the promise of dessert, the attorney agreed to prolong her visit once again.

And that’s how it came to be just after 9 pm with the brunette cuddled up in Ashlyn’s arms. Sprawled out on the oversized patio chaise longue, the two watched the sun finally sank below the ocean and pulled the remaining wisps of light with it. It became chillier as the night wore on, but there was a crackling outdoor fireplace and a blanket draped over them. Beyond that, Ali could feel the warmth radiating off the blonde as she snuggled into her chest.

The pair laid there silently for a few minutes as Ashlyn gently ran her fingers through Ali’s chestnut locks. It was serene and truthfully, neither knew what the rest of the night held. Ash was afraid any sudden moves would send Ali scurrying for a hotel, and Ali was afraid of having to actually stick to her word. Both women knew what they wanted, they were just too afraid to ask for it.

”So…” Ashlyn trailed off

The heat in their kiss burned through both of their bodies with a fiery rage as the world stood still around them and their tongues battled for control. As Ali felt Ashlyn’s hand slip between her legs that were draped over the blonde, a small moan escaped from her lips.

Ashlyn couldn’t handle it anymore as the small noise set her off. She was craving Ali and had been craving her for weeks. 

Without another word she crashed their lips together and could feel Ali’s hands instinctively tangle into her hair at the back of her neck, pulling her in deeper, begging for more. Ali pulled Ashlyn closer, grinding her hips against the blonde’s and the architect felt like her body was going to start on fire.

She began to trail, hot, open-mouthed kisses from Ali’s jawline down her neck, tantalizingly teasing the brunette.

“Ashlyn…please…”

Ali was pleading for her touch and the blonde loved it. After a day of teasing and flirting, she finally had the brunette exactly where she wanted her. Holding Ali tightly with one arm, Ash used the other to lightly ghost her fingers up Ali’s toned legs and play with the hemline of her shorts. Ali let out another soft moan and bucked her hips into Ashlyn’s wandering hand.

“Please…” she sighed again through ragged breaths as the blonde’s fingers rubbed gently over her panties.

“Mmm, you’re so wet for me…” Ashlyn hummed into the brunette’s ear as she nibbled and kissed her earlobe.

Ali lifted her hips and slid the shorts she was wearing off, followed by the lacy red underwear, dangling it in the air and then tossing it across the room.

Spurred on by the brunette’s brashness, Ashlyn effortlessly flipped their positions so that she was now straddling Ali. It was quick and caught Ali off guard, but she easily sank back into the chaise lounge while pulling Ashlyn down so their bodies melded together. Ashlyn began grinding her hips down on Ali, whose hands slipped to Ashlyn’s butt to gain herself even more friction. As Ashlyn created some space and ran her hand up Ali’s leg, Ali’s fingers slipped under the hem of her shirt and ran along her toned abs. The blonde got the hint and lifted just a bit so that Ali could slide the shirt she was wearing over her head, followed by her sports bra. She let her eyes wander the blonde’s toned stomach and tattoos in amazement for a moment before the pulsing between her legs got the best of her and she dragged Ashlyn back down and began kissing trails down her neck. 

A slight moan escaped Ali’s lips when she felt Ashlyn’s warm skin graze against hers. Her whole body felt as if it was on fire and she couldn’t wait any longer. Luckily, the moan was all it took for Ashlyn to get the hint as she slid her fingers through her wet folds. Ali felt her breath catch in her throat at the contact.

“I need you in me,” she moaned into Ashlyn’s ear.

The blonde eagerly obliged and slipped a finger slowly into Ali’s core, moving it in and out slowly, but deeply as she warmed her up. Ali’s hips bucked up into Ashlyn, subconsciously begging for more. As Ashlyn rubbed Ali’s clit with her thumb, she slipped another finger in, relishing the moans that were escaping Ali’s lips as she stroked the attorney towards an orgasm.

“Fuck, Ashlyn. Don’t stop,” she managed to get out through her ragged breath as her hands desperately search for something to hold onto and found refuge in the blonde’s hair. She pulled the other woman up to gather her lips in a kiss and felt her legs begin to shake as Ashlyn put more pressure into rubbing her clit. 

“Don’t stop Ash. I’m close,” she moaned into Ashlyn’s mouth which only spurred her on more.

She could feel Ali begin to tighten around her and wanted to finally give her what she had been so patiently waiting for. Her pace picked up and she finally curled her fingers, sending Ali’s body in convulsions as she felt the waves of euphoria wash over her.

“Fuck baby,” she moaned into the crook of Ashlyn’s neck as her legs wrapped around the blonde’s waist to pull her in even tighter.

Ashlyn helped her ride out her orgasm for a few more moments as Ali spilled onto her hands. 

“Oh my god,” the attorney whispered as her body finally relaxed and the tremors stopped rippling through her body.

Collapsing back into the blonde’s arms, Ali let out a sigh of content. Whether it was the early flight, long day, glasses of wine, of sex-fueled haze hanging over her head, the brunette felt her eyelids getting heavy.

Trying to fight it off, she pulled back from the crook of Ashlyn’s next and met the blonde’s dark, fiery gaze.

“It’s your turn. Take me to the bedroom,” the brunette urged, trying to muster up the remaining wisps of energy she still possessed.

“Shhh,” Ashlyn cooed before pulling Ali back into her chest. “Why don’t you just get some rest?”

Ali tried to fight it, but before sixty seconds had passed, the brunette was already fast asleep, clutched tightly in Ashlyn’s arms.


	16. SIXTEEN

Sunday night, Ali found herself nuzzled up against the blonde. Snuggled up against the blonde, watching the sunset once again, the attorney couldn’t help but feel a wave of nausea bubbling in her stomach. The weekend was over and with the waning wisps of sun, her hope was also dissipating. Tomorrow was Monday and that meant returning to real life. It meant Denise was coming and they would spend the day traipsing around the house cataloging everything for the settlement agreement. It was a task that interns could easily handle but that wasn’t what Ali dreaded most. It was the fact that it meant her time with Ashlyn was coming to an end.

The two had spent Sunday much of the same way they had Saturday. They splashed in the ocean, lounged around in the pool, enjoyed Ashlyn’s surprisingly good cooking, and had copious amounts of sex. It was the type of weekend Ali hadn’t had in years and one she wasn’t looking forward to having it end.

Over the weekend she had come to learn far more about Ashlyn than she ever expected. She learned that the blonde designed and built the home they were currently in with her father. It made the attorney privy to why the architect had such an impassioned plea to keep the house in the divorce, and it also made her realize the Senator was more conniving than she originally thought in trying to keep the house for herself. It was clear how much Ashlyn loved the house she and her father build together as she strolled through, giving Ali a tour that afternoon. Room after room was filled with intricate details and Ashlyn, relayed them all, memorializing her father with every step of the tour. 

Ali also learned that the blonde’s parents had both passed away. Her father a few years ago and her mother recently. She had a brother, but he lived in California with his wife and she didn’t get to see him too often as a result. In a sense, without Anne, Ashlyn was alone in this world. That thought tugged at Ali’s heartstrings, but the brunette was resigned to the fact that there was little she could do about it.

Lying there, wrapped in Ashlyn’s arms, Ali realized that they had made it the entire weekend without talking about what any of this meant. They had fallen into their old ways, chatting and laughing like old friends, and having hot sex like passionate lovers. But what they never did, was talk about what happened _after_ Florida. Sure, Ashlyn had convinced her to stay, arguing that Florida was considered a different world, but time was almost up. Denise would be arriving around 11 am the next morning and they’d be forced to act like nothing had ever happened. It was unfortunate, but Ali wasn’t sure there was any other option. As much as she enjoyed her time with Ashlyn, she was still her client’s wife and that meant nothing could come of their relationship.

Ali could only imagine the ramifications if their little tryst went public, let alone news of an entire weekend spent wrapped up in each other’s arms—and the sheets. Ashlyn had assured her there was no way that would happen. Her neighbors were out of town, she had taken the in-home security cameras offline, and they had tucked Ali’s car in the garage so no one would see an unfamiliar car in the drive and question things. Ashlyn had even gone as far as to call their housekeeper and tell her to take the weekend off—paid, of course—so that there would be no intrusions. They had taken every precaution and Ashlyn had all but guaranteed that news would never get out about their weekend rendezvous.

“So, I was thinking of doing some chocolate fondue with strawberries for dessert,” Ashlyn asked, her soft voice breaking through the tranquility that settled around them. “How does that sound?”

Ali pulled back and let out a sigh. Truthfully, it sounded delightful. The offer was more than tempting, but Ali knew sooner or later she’d have to put her foot down. With Denise coming in just about 12 hours, it really was time for her to head out. 

“It’s getting late,” Ali expressed, her tone housing a hint of discontent, “I should really get my stuff packed up and head to a hotel.”

The brunette was about to slip off the chaise longue when a set of long, slender fingers gently wrapped around her wrist and tugged.

“Stay with me,” Ashlyn whispered.

Ali glanced back at the blonde and noted the glimmer in her hazel irises. It wasn’t pleading, but it was hopeful. Hopeful that the weekend they shared together truly meant something to Ali. Hopeful that the brunette wouldn’t go running for the hills and instead, enjoy one last night together before reality set in.

The attorney was a logical woman. She knew leaving and going to a hotel was the best option. Staying another night meant that their connection would grow even stronger, a connection Ali was vehemently opposed to. It wasn’t allowed, it _couldn’t_ work between them. The brunette knew as much, but somehow, she couldn’t fight the pull between them. It was undeniable, and Ali didn’t know what to do about it. Fighting it at this point felt almost futile.

Peering back at the blonde, Ali let out a sigh before dropping her gaze to the floor. She was about to open her mouth to respond when the words rolled off Ashlyn’s tongue.

“Please,” the blonde implored, “Just one more night…”

The authenticity in her voice—almost as if acknowledging that this one more night would be their last—finally broke down the walls that had been building up. Sinking back into the chair, Ali leveled their gaze. In it was everything both women needed to say, but couldn’t verbalize.

_Acceptance that this was it. Acceptance that whatever they had in Florida wasn’t going to translate back to D.C. Acceptance that this night, would be their last._

Glancing into Ashlyn’s shimmering hazel irises laced with hope, Ali didn’t have the heart to end it any earlier than she had too.

“One more night,” the brunette whispered emphatically with a slight nod before closing the gap between their lips and kissing the blonde with all the passion she possessed.


	17. SEVENTEEN

Ali slowly came to her senses, relishing the feeling of being wrapped up in Ashlyn’s arms for the second morning in a row. Slowly blinking, the brunette let out a sated sigh and snuggled closer into the brunette, glad she had woken up peacefully instead of the shrill sound of the alarm they set.

That peace went right out the window when Ali realized why she had been slowly dragged from her slumber.

“Hello!” called a voice from downstairs. “Ashlyn are you here?”

Echoing footsteps of heels clicking against Italian marble floors reverberated through the house and suddenly, Ali’s eyes shot wide open in panic.

Frantically tearing through the sheets, Ali searched for her phone. When she pulled it out from underneath her pillow—where she placed it so the alarm would wake her up—she was met by a black screen. It was dead. The three alarms she had set never went off.

“Shit. Shit. Shit,” Ali hissed under her breath as she cast a look at the clock on Ashlyn’s bedside table.

It read 9:00 am. Two hours later the alarm she had so meticulously set, and exactly the time Denise was expected to report.

“Ashlyn, get up!” Ali whispered, shaking the blonde awake.

The architect slowly woke up but was clearly not aware of the dire situation as she smiled and tried to pull Ali back down to snuggle.

“Denise is here. The alarm didn’t go off,” Ali quickly spat out as she pushed Ashlyn’s hand away and tore herself from the warm and comfy 3,000 thread count sheets.

That seemed to wake the blonde up as Ashlyn sat straight up, eyes wide open with panic, her sleepy brain trying to process what was happening.

“What do I do?” the brunette hissed as she searched the room for her underwear, before giving up and quickly pulled on a pair of shorts and tossing a shirt over her head.

The blonde slipped out of the bed, a dazed and flustered look on her face as she too tugged on a pair of shorts and a shirt.

“ASHLYN ARE YOU HERE?” Denise shouted again, this time her voice much closer.

“Say something!” Ali demanded in a hoarse whisper, smacking the blonde lightly in the arm to get her to actually respond.

“Uh…yeah!” the blonde finally stuttered as Denise made her way up the stairs. “Yeah, I’m here! I’ll…uh…I’ll be right down. Sorry, my alarm didn’t go off.”

“No problem. I’ll wait downstairs. Seems like opposing counsel is running a bit behind too. Those young attorneys don’t quite seem to grasp the concept of punctuality,” Denise chuckled while making her way back down the stairs.

“I beat your ass here,” Ali muttered angrily under her breath as she watched Ashlyn frantically typing on her cell phone.

More than anything, the brunette was glad they had taken her car to a nearby hotel Saturday so they wouldn’t risk anyone seeing a strange car in the driveway all weekend. That and the fact that she’d only brought in a small carry on and left the rest of her luggage in the hotel room she’d booked with the company credit card just for posterity sake. The plan _had_ been to leave around eight, head to the hotel, get ready and be back by nine. That plan was completely out the window and Ali was panicking.

Everything was crashing down on them. Their secret was about to be out and in the worst possible way. Denise could and would ruin everything. She’d blow up Ali’s career, likely trying to have her disbarred. There was no telling what the ramifications would be for Krieger O’Hara & Associates either. As soon as word got out that Ali was banging a divorce client’s ex while the case was pending, the firm would lose their sterling reputation. It would probably crumble, with all their associates, interns, and assistants forced to look for new jobs in a stiff job market. Ali could only imagine the look on Kelly’s face when she told her what happened, watching as the slow reality set in of what that would mean for the firm they worked so hard to create. It wasn’t fair and more than anything, Ali wanted to kick herself for giving in to her heart instead of doing what she knew in her head was right.

Mind swirling out of control, Ali could feel the walls closing in on them. There was no getting out of this unscathed. 

Thankfully, Ashlyn had finally come to her senses after being aroused from her slumber in such a panicked state. The blonde took Ali’s hands in her own and gave them a gentle, reassuring squeeze. Lifting Ali’s chin with two fingers, Ashlyn leveled their eyes.

“Wait two minutes, then go out the back door to the upper patio, take the stairs down to the lower deck, and then get in the car that will be waiting there,” the blonde instructed.

“Who will be waiting?” Ali panicked. “Ashlyn, no one can know about us. This has to stay a secret.”

“I trust her with my life, Ali,” the blonde countered. “Just go…before Denise comes back up here please.”

Ali let out a deep sigh. She could read the sincerity in Ashlyn’s eyes and knew she had no choice but to trust her.

“Okay,” the brunette nodded, knowing there was really no other option.

Before she left, Ali wanted to get something off her chest.

“Ashlyn,” she started, but the blonde was already pushing her towards the bedroom door.

“Go,” she whispered.

The words were harsher this time with more force behind them. Swallowing her words, Ali had no choice by the listen, turning to slip out of the bedroom and into the hallway.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry this one is shorter, but hopefully it holds you over through the weekend thinking about all the possible ways this can blow up in their faces!! ;P


	18. EIGHTEEN

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks for holding tight over the weekend... here's the next chapter for you :)

Cautiously, Ali crept down the hall. The brunette was plastered to the back wall of the hallway, praying that Denise couldn’t see her from the main foyer. Holding her breath, the attorney finally made it to the door that led to the elevated back porch. Mind racing with thoughts, Ali pushed them down as she tried to focus on getting out of the house unseen.

Sucking in a deep breath, the brunette tugged the door open, willing it to not creak. Thankfully, the glass door slid open silently as if someone had recently oiled the track. Slipping out of the house, Ali pulled the door close and shot Ashlyn a half-hearted smile as the blonde slipped out of the bedroom and made eye contact before beginning her descent down to greet Denise.

Glad that the opposing counsel would be distracted, Ali quickly made her way down the spiral staircase that led to the pool deck. Thankfully, the staircase was hidden from the expansive glass windows that overlooked the beach by a row of tall shrubs. That made it easy for the brunette to slip around the corner of the house and slink towards the front yard.

Ali waited a moment, cursing Ashlyn under her breath when she reached the front of the house and saw no car waiting for her. She was just about to pull out her cellphone to text the blonde when a BMW pulled up in front of the house. The windows were tinted so the brunette couldn’t make out who was in the driver’s seat, but Ali knew no matter what she had to get into the car. It was her only option.

Peering around the side of the house, Ali could see Denise’s back to her. Giving the blonde a harsh glare from the other side of the window, the brunette seemed to get her point across and Ashlyn slipped her hand behind the attorney’s back and guided her into the other room.

Letting out a deep sigh of relief, Ali made a wild dash for the BMW pulled off onto the shoulder of the road. Yanking open the door, the brunette fell inside, slinking down in the passenger seat as she tugged the door shut behind her.

It wasn’t until the car sped away that Ali let out the deep breath she had been holding and finally sat up. Glancing to her left, the brunette studied the woman sitting beside her. It was a skinny woman with pixie cut hair. Hair that was died bright pink. It was quite a sight and Ali couldn’t take her eyes off the woman.

“Name’s Megan, but everyone calls me Pinoe,” the woman offered, glancing at Ali through her dark-tinted Ray-Ban Aviators.

“Thanks for picking me up, Meg—Pinoe,” the brunette replied.

“Anything for Ash,” the woman replied. “Wouldn’t be the first time I’ve bailed her out of a situation and I’m sure it won’t be the last.”

The words stung a bit and Ali drew back as she tugged her seatbelt around her body and buckled it securely. The task was difficult with shaking hands, but she still managed.

“You regularly sneaking girls out of Ashlyn’s house?” the attorney countered in a slightly terse tone.

The question drew a hearty chuckle out of the pink-haired woman, followed by a head shake,

“No, you’re definitely the first,” Pinoe retorted. “Although, I used to have to pick up Ash on the side of the road when she had to sneak out of Ann’s house in high school.”

Figuring this would be the only time she could get more information from someone close to Ashlyn due to the secrecy of their relationship, Ali decided to press for a bit more information.

“So, you’ve been friends with Ash for quite some time?”

Pinoe nodded, “She grew up next door to me. We were little hell raisers. Well, until she met Ann. She got her shit together real quick, but she always made time for me.” 

These words struck Ali a bit differently as the realization set in of just how far back Ashlyn and Ann’s past ran. They were entangled since high school, conquering the ups and downs of the relationship for almost two decades. It was a feat in and of itself, even though it all came crumbling down.

“Is there a reason you keep mentioning Ann?” Ali questioned as they sped down the AIA towards the hotel Ali’s car was parked at. “Holding out hope that they’ll get back together?”

“Hell no,” Pinoe growled protectively. “After everything Ann’s done to her? The countless affairs and dragging Ash back and forth to D.C. to dress her up all nice and impress her friends was enough for me to hate her. I always knew Ash was too good for her, but now she’s trying to screw her over in the divorce too by hiding assets. Bet Ann’s fucking attorney is telling her to do that. It’s sick.”

Ali quickly came to the realization that Ashlyn _had_ been true to her word. Pinoe clearly didn’t know about their relationship prior to the roadside pickup and it was clear that she didn’t know who Ali was.

Pinoe took the silence that settled in as a cue that Ali was lost in her thoughts and decided to press for some answers herself.

“So, how long have you known Ashlyn?”

“About a month or so…” Ali replied, sucking in a deep breath as she could see where the conversation was headed.

“How’d you meet? I’m guessing from the hotel I’m driving you too that you’re not local?”

Before Ali could answer, another thought popped into PInoe’s head.

“Although, if you’re here to see Ashlyn, wouldn’t you just have stayed at the house? Why would you need a hotel room?”

Another dramatic pause as Ali sought the right words to respond.

“Did you meet at a bar or something? Are you here for work or just here on vacation?” Pinoe questioned, her voice not threatening, just curious.

“I…uh…I’m here for work,” the attorney responded. “But I know Ash from D.C….”

“I see,” Pinoe nodded. “What do you do for work?”

Ali knew the pink-haired woman was just trying to make friendly conversation, albeit while trying to get information on the mystery woman that her friend had suspiciously not provided, but it was killing her. Deciding to keep it vague, the brunette simply replied that she was an attorney. This seemed to set the woman’s mind in motion and Ali could see her jumping to conclusions, conclusions that were in fact, correct.

“Wait a minute…what kind of attorney?” the driver demanded, though this time her voice a bit terser.

Ali knew there was no way around it. Pinoe would certainly get the information out of Ashlyn and she honestly wanted to spare the blonde from having to tell her friend herself.

“Family law. I’m Ann’s divorce attorney,” Ali replied resolutely.

“Jesus Christ,” Pinoe snarled as she slapped a hand to her own face and let out a frustrated sigh.

Jerking the car into the parking lot of the hotel, Pinoe slammed on the breaks and threw the car into park.

“Did Ann put you up to this?” she demanded.

“No!” the brunette countered. “I met Ash before I even knew who the Senator’s wife was. We just…we can’t seem to stay away from each other…”

“Seems pretty fucking suspicious,” the woman growled, her eyes glaring intensely at the brunette. “You could literally help Ann take everything from her! God if Ann finds out Ashlyn is having an affair she will stop at nothing to ruin her…And here you come waltzing in with your pretty smile and long lashes, the perfect type to woo Ashlyn. I’m onto you…” 

Ali squirmed under the scrutinizing glare and felt her defenses heightening. Pinoe couldn’t be further from the truth.

“Listen, my fucking job is on the line here too,” Ali bit back with a heated tone. “I could lose my job, my license, and the firm I’ve spent my working career building. And all because I fell in—I fell for the wrong person. So before you question my motives, why don’t you think about what I have at stake in all of this? Did you consider that?”

The bite in Ali’s words seemed to know Pinoe down a peg and woman withdrew the finger she was thrusting at the attorney’s chest as she considered the words. It was true, that Ali could certainly lose everything. She also knew that Ashlyn wasn’t one to just sleep around, that she had to see something in the brunette to continue seeing her. Still…

“It just seems like too much of a coincidence,” the pink-haired woman countered. “Too suspicious…”

Glancing at the clock, Ali knew she really had to get going. Denise had probably already made fifteen comments to Ashlyn about how unprofessional Ali was for being late and she didn’t want to give the woman any more of an upper hand.

“Listen, I think you need to have this conversation with Ashlyn,” the attorney stated as she unbuckled and shifted her hand to the door handle. “Just know that I’m not in this to hurt her or give Ann the upper hand.”

“Then why are you in this? What do you expect to come of it?”

The question hit Ali squarely in the chest, forcing her mind to travel to places she tried to block it from throughout the peaceful and magical weekend she’d spent with Ashlyn.

“I’m honestly not sure,” the brunette replied earnestly, “but that’s for Ashlyn and I to figure out ourselves.”

With that, Ali yanked open the car door and slipped out of the car.

“Thanks for the ride,” she offered before closing the door and rushing across the parking lot to the hotel entrance.


	19. NINETEEN

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry, I was supposed to get this out this weekend but was totally swamped! Hope you enjoy :)

Forty-five minutes later and just over an hour since the meeting was supposed to start, Ali pulled up in front of the Harris Mansion once again. Only this time, instead of going commando in a pair of athletic shorts and a loose white V-neck t-shirt, she was dressed proper. Wearing a black pencil skirt that ended just below her knees with a slit that climbed up a few inches and a light cream-colored blouse that was neatly tucked in, Ali felt like a lawyer again. Her hair was pulled back into a tight bun and a light layer of makeup replaced the sleep lines she had been sporting just an hour ago, and the woman was ready to get down to business. 

Taking in a deep breath, the brunette pushed away the thoughts of the weekend and tried to focus on the task at hand. Right now she wasn’t Ashlyn’s…whatever they were calling it, she was Ann Harris’s divorce attorney. There was a job to do, a job that Ali greatly prided herself in, and that meant separating herself from the woman she had been all weekend.

Confidently, the brunette strolled to the front door and pulled it open without knocking. She was over an hour late and knew that Denise—and certainly Ashlyn—would be expecting her. 

“Well speak of the devil,” Denise drawled in a tone dripping with condescension.

Ali only offered a tight-lipped smile as she closed the door behind her and wandered over to where Denise and Ashlyn were sitting. The blonde offered her a timid, slightly apologetic smile as she sat on the couch clutching a cup of freshly brewed coffee.

“I was actually two days early,” the brunette bit back in annoyance, “Seems like your assistant forgot to pass along the message that we were rescheduling.” 

“Yes, I do apologize for that lack of communication,” Denise offered without a hint of sincerity. “I’m not sure how that happened.”

Ali knew exactly _how_ it happened. It happened because Denise purposely forgot to relay the message, but getting into that would only make the situation tenser and that was something the brunette desperately wanted to avoid. In fact, she wanted the meeting to be as quick and painless as possible so she could retreat to her hotel and pack and process everything that happened before flying home that night. 

“Well, let’s get started,” Denise suggested, clapping her hands together to reinforce her feigned excitement. “We’re already running an hour behind schedule.” 

The barbed statement irked the brunette, but again she tabled her frustration for the sake of getting this over with. Instead, she cast an annoyed glance at Ashlyn who simply shrugged as Denise rose from the couch.

“Can I…uh…can I get you a coffee or something?” Ashlyn offered the brunette as she rose to her feet behind her attorney.

“Nonsense,” Denise, who was already holding her own mug of fresh coffee chided as she swatted Ashlyn’s offer out of the way, “If she wanted coffee she should have gotten up earlier.”

Ali rolled her eyes exaggeratedly and it was clear Denise saw the motion but didn’t comment. Instead the older attorney turned to Ashlyn and offered her a polite smile. 

“Now, I suppose it’s time you headed out,” Denise stated firmly. “It was specifically stated that neither party would be in attendance, it would just be attorneys so why don’t you leave and I’ll give you a call when the coast is clear.” 

Ashlyn discreetly cast a glance over her attorney’s shoulder at Ali as the brunette’s heart sank. She knew it was best, that it wasn’t possible to even interact the way they had been with Denise around, but still, Ali felt defeated. It was like her body physically needed Ashlyn around to function. Besides, Ali certainly wasn’t looking forward to spending the day alone with Denise. The woman was unintelligible and the brunette had already had enough of her sass in the two minutes she’d been standing there. 

Letting out a sigh, Ali watched as Ashlyn nodded, offering her a small commiserating grin as she slunk into the kitchen to grab her wallet and keys before sidling out the door that led into the garage. A car roared to life and Ali watched as a decked out black Range Rover backed out of the garage before peeling out of the driveway onto A1A. 

Turning to face Ali, Denise gave her a dubious smile. 

“Now, why don’t we begin?” the woman prodded before bending over to pluck a thick legal pad out of her oversized purse.

Letting out an audible groan, the brunette forced a smile onto her face, “Of course. There’s nothing I’d love more.” 

As the woman slipped from room to room, each taking pictures for their own records and meticulously jotting everything down, the tension between them didn’t fade. If anything, it became more pronounced as Denise continually explained legal terms to Ali as if the younger attorney wasn’t aware and hadn’t built an extremely successful law firm from the ground up. The woman was grinding Ali’s gears, but the brunette tried to keep a level head as the stuffy, conservative woman led them upstairs and into the master bedroom. 

Pushing the door open, Denise slipped into the room and flicked on the light. Instantly, the room was illuminated in soft yellow light. Ali’s eyes scanned the room, but there was no sign of their night of passionate lovemaking. That is, not until she rounded the bed and saw her lacy black thong peeking out from underneath the sheets. The same thong she hadn’t been able to find when rushing out of the room. Unfortunately, they caught Denise’s attention at the same time and the older woman sucked in a breath, knowing how it could be used against them.

It was obvious that they were both staring at the same thing, neither one of them able to move. Finally, Denise went for it, stretching the flip the sheets down to divert Ali’s attention away from a sign of infidelity that could obviously jeopardize Ashlyn’s negotiating position. 

Ali debated internally for a moment, torn between her feelings for Ashlyn, and her competitive nature and duty as an attorney. Ashamedly, the latter two won out as she forcibly swatted Denise’s hand away.

“These certainly don’t look like Ashlyn’s” the brunette chided, feigning a disgusted look as she stuck her pen in the hole of the panties and lifted them in the air for Denise to get a better look. “They don’t seem to be her size or her style.”

The blood rushed out of Denise’s face as she glared back at Ali. The look was meant to intimidate, but it did nothing of the sort. The brunette knew what she had to do, spinning away to snap a few pictures that Denise clearly wasn’t aware were Ali’s, but the entire scenario brought a feeling a guilt washing over Ali. The brunette knew she had a job to do and that was being the best attorney she could for Ann Harris, but it was killing her inside. The only thing that brightened Ali’s day was the look of shock and worry still etched into Denise’s face as they continued through the house to document and inventory the rest of the Harris’ belongings for the next several hours.


	20. TWENTY

Letting out a sigh, Ali stuffed the last shirt into her small suitcase. The tiny carry on had only been meant for a day, but the brunette had stretched it to last through the weekend after Denise’s assistant “mistakenly” failed to let her know about the change of plans. It helped that most of the weekend was spent without clothes or wrapped tightly in one of the blonde’s sweatshirts, a thought that brought a slight pink twinge to the brunette’s cheeks. 

Her weekend of bliss with Ashlyn had been just that, blissful. Unfortunately, her time in Florida was coming to an end. Ali’s flight left in a few hours and there wasn’t much time before the attorney needed to head to the airport. She was reluctant to go, and not just because the forecast in D.C. was considerably colder than the balmy 70s and 80s she had experienced that weekend. Something had happened between her and Ashlyn that weekend that the brunette couldn’t quite figure out. There was a shift in their relationship, another layer of intimacy added.

Thinking on everything that happened over the weekend, the attorney’s head was reeling with the implications of her carefree weekend. She could only imagine the look on Kelley’s face when they had lunch Tuesday and Ali revealed what had happened. Of course, she would tell Kelley, she _had_ to tell the freckle-faced attorney not just because she was her partner, but also because Kelley was her best friend. Ashlyn had clearly confided in her best friend, so it was only fair. 

Still, Ali could picture the look on Kelley’s face, the way the brunette’s eyebrows would knit together and her lips would parse with disappointment. But more than that, Ali knew there would be a bit of excitement flashing through her eyes upon hearing that Ali, _for once_ , threw caution to the wind. Kelley was always the more free-spirited of the two and knowing that the older brunette lived it up, if only for one weekend, would ignite a sparkle in the freckled attorney’s eyes. Kelley trusted Ali implicitly and despite the potentially grave situation Ali put the firm in, the two always promised their friendship would come first. 

Exhaling deeply, Ali finally zippered her black suitcase before flopping backward on the made bed. She was just getting comfortable, TV remote in hand when there was a knock on the door. Grumbling under her breath about someone having the wrong room, the brunette begrudgingly trudged to the door. Peering out the peephole, she was met with a whirl of wind-blown blonde hair. _Ashlyn_.

Normally the sight of the fiery blonde would bring a smile to Ali’s face, but Ashlyn was not wearing her characteristic dazzling smile and Ali thought she knew why. Slowly, the brunette unlocked the deadbolt and unlatched the top lock before forcing a smile on her face and pulling open the door.

“Come in,” the brunette whispered.

Ali poked her head out into the hallway while ushering the blonde in before anyone could see them together. Luckily, there was no one in the hallway so it appeared as if they were off scot-free. 

As Ashlyn sidled into the room, Ali could immediately tell there was something bothering her. Gone was the dark desire that normally filled her hazel eyes, and her normally cheerful expression was replaced with a sullen one instead.

“Ash, I can explain,” the brunette began, trying to get ahead of the argument she knew they were headed for. 

“I’d _love_ to hear you try and explain why you are using our relationship as a means to get the upper hand in my divorce negotiations,” the blonde spat.

Ali watched as Ashlyn whipped around, her eyes glaring intently at the attorney. It was clear she was upset, but what caught the attorney off guard was the sadness laced in her soft brown irises instead of anger. The blonde had every reason to be mad, but instead, simply looked hurt. That dug the knife deeper into the brunette, who dropped her eyes to the floor, unable to hold Ashlyn’s gaze. 

“Ash, it was just in the heat of things with Denise,” the brunette tried to explain. “She was grating me all morning at when I saw the underwear she did at the same time and went to cover it up and I just…I couldn’t let her get that over me. I wouldn’t be doing my job…”

“Okay, so you’re choosing your job over us,” Ashlyn retorted in a monotone, her face devoid of any emotion. 

“Ashlyn, there is no us…” Ali tried to explain, unsure how there even could be, but it was clearly the wrong thing to say.

“So, what the hell was this weekend?” the blonde countered, cutting Ali off and throwing her hands out wide in frustration as she spun and began pacing the small hotel room. “Why did you spend the weekend with me, Ali?” 

The attorney could feel the situation spiraling out of control. She always knew it would come to this, that there was no way to make this work, at least until the divorce was settled, but Ali wasn’t prepared for it. Now that Ashlyn had let her into her life, into her heart, and Ali had done the same, this was all so much more complicated. It wasn’t simply about sex anymore and with the look on Ashlyn’s face, it was clear that’s what the blonde thought.

“Ashlyn, I don’t want to fight with you. Can you just…can you just please take a deep breath and let me get something off my chest?”

“Sure,” the blonde grumbled as she dropped down on the edge of the bed. 

For a few moments, the room was filled with silence as Ali tried to wrack her brain for the right way to get the words out. For the perfect way to express what she was feeling. It took only once glance at the dejected blonde to realize it didn’t matter how perfectly the words were phrased—a difficult thing to comprehend for an attorney who rued opening and closing statements—it just mattered that she said them.

Sinking down onto the bed beside the blonde, Ali took Ashlyn’s hands in her own. 

“I need you to just forget about the underwear thing and just listen—“ Ali began.

“I can’t just forget about it!” Ashlyn hissed, cutting the brunette off.

The blonde tried to pull away, but Ali maintained a sure grip on the architect’s hands and leveled the gaze.

“Just listen…” Ali replied, “Please.” 

Letting out a shaky breath, the blonde finally nodded and let her hands go slack in Ali’s grip.

“I came to Florida Saturday morning planning to just get this shit with Denise out of the way. I wasn’t expecting Denise to cancel or to see you there. I wasn’t expecting for any of this to happen and to feel the way that I do about you. But it did happen and I’m entirely overwhelmed. I’m sorry about using our relationship to my advantage in the case, but I wouldn’t be doing my job if I didn’t say something. It was clear what those were and that they weren’t yours. We were both looking right at the thong and it would have been suspicious if I didn’t call it out and document it. That’s my job, Ash. And it’s not just my job at stake, it’s the fifty people that work for me and rely on our firm’s reputation for employment that allows them to support their families. I didn’t want to and I felt guilty the entire time, but it was something I had to do. Whether we like it or not, I _am_ your ex-wife’s divorce attorney and I have a job to do. Unfortunately, that conflicts with what I want outside of work and I’m not quite sure what to do…”

As Ali’s words trailed off, Ashlyn sat quietly for a few moments, the only sound in the room the rhythmic breathing coming from both women. The architect knew that everything Ali said was true. She was just doing her job and even though it wasn’t ideal that her job interfered with Ashlyn’s case, Ali had made it clear that she didn’t have much of a choice given the situation. Finally, the brunette broke through the silence.

“What _do_ you want?” Ashlyn questioned.

The blonde’s voice was shaky as if she wasn’t sure she wanted to know the answer, and it broke down the little wall that was still remaining around her heart.

“You,” the brunette whispered. “I want you, Ash.” 

For the first time that evening, Ashlyn’s face lit up with a big smile.

“Really?”

“Yes,” Ali nodded affirmatively. “I just…I don’t know how to get to you.”

“I’m right here,” the blonde reassured as she leaned forward and gave Ali’s hands a comforting squeeze. “I’m right here and I’m not going anywhere. No matter how long we have to wait or whatever we have to do, I’m not going anywhere, Ali.” 

“It could be a while, Ash,” the attorney tried to reason, giving Ashlyn every chance to walk away before they got in too deep. “Years…” 

“I’m right here,” the blonde repeated, ignoring the brunette’s warning pleas, before leaning in to capture Ali’s lips in a passionate kiss that was eagerly returned.


	22. TWENTY TWO

Ali rolled her eyes slightly and nodded, though the person on the other end of the line couldn’t see the physical reaction.

“Yes, Senator Harris,” the brunette reiterated, assuring the Senator that the meeting went as planned. “Everything went smoothly yesterday. I was able to categorize everything and get detailed records so we can proceed with dividing up assets.”

Groaning inaudibly, the attorney let her head drop back onto the black leather executive chair as the Senator continued blabbering. Truthfully, Ali had been dreading the phone call, knowing the memories it would bring up. As the Senator droned on about the antique furniture, it reminded Ali of the time Ashlyn fucked her on the antique credenza. As Senator Harris explained the importance of getting the ornate love seat in the living room, Ali could only think about stripping naked and tossing her clothes on the same seat as she chased after Ashlyn towards the bedroom. The thought brought a slight smile to her lips, that quickly fell when there was a knock on her door and Kelley entered unannounced.

The look on Kelley’s face was off and Ali did her best to wrap up the conversation quickly.

“Well, I’ll be in touch shortly once we’ve finalized the list, Senator,” Ali explained. “I’ll send it over and you can designate anything of particular interest that you would want to be specified in the Settlement Agreement.” There was a brief pause before the brunette nodded once again, “Great. Thanks for your time, Senator Harris.”

Letting out a soft sigh, the brunette set the phone down on the cradle and turned her attention to the freckled attorney sitting before her. There was a knowing look on Kelley’s face and Ali could only imagine what was going on in her head.

“So…” the brunette started, “How was your trip?”

“Fine,” Ali shrugged. “Still annoyed that Denise fucked me over, but there’s nothing I can do about it now.”

“What’d you do all weekend?” Kelley questioned.

The younger attorney tried to appear nonchalant, but the question was anything but. It was clear she was trying to get at something.

“Just hung out at the beach and by the pool,” the older attorney replied casually.

 _Technically_ , it wasn’t a lie. She and Ashlyn had been on the beach and by the pool. It was merely an omission of the truth. Apparently, Kelley wasn’t buying it.

“Did you see Ashlyn?” the freckled attorney cut right to the chase.

Ali drew back slightly in her chair, parsing her lips at the accusation. She wasn’t sure what Kelley was getting at but didn’t like the direction was heading in. Still, she knew she couldn’t lie to her partner. Before anything, Kelley was her best friend.

“I may or may not have spent the weekend there…” Ali admitted, already tensing her body for the reaction she was expecting to get.

Instead, Kelley just let out a deep sigh and shook her head slightly.

“I knew it!” the freckled attorney exclaimed. “I knew you couldn’t stay away.”

There were a million questions flowing through Ali’s mind but she only blurted out the most obvious.

“How did you even know she was in town? Senator Harris said she’d be gone.”

“We have a mutual friend and she posted something about checking out a club Saturday night while they were both in town.”

“Wouldn’t happen to be Pinoe, would it?”

Kelley’s eyes narrowed, “Yeah, how do you know her?”

“She happened to be the one who picked me up when my alarm didn’t go off Monday morning and Denise was knocking on the door,” Ali admitted softly.

“Jesus, Ali!” Kelley hissed, eyes shooting wide open. “Did she see anything?”

“No,” Ali shook her head for emphasis. “We were super careful. Left my car at the hotel, she paid the maid and grounds crew to take the weekend off and shut off the security cameras. The house is really secluded and her neighbors are snowbirds and aren’t down there yet.”

Kelley sat quietly for a moment just watching Ali ramble on about all of the precautionary measures they had taken. It was clear that Ali and Ashlyn had been careful, but more pressing was _why_ they were putting so much effort into everything. If it was just sex, there were much easier ways to go about it.

“You really like her, don’t you?” Kelley asked, her voice housing no hint of accusation.

Ali nodded, “I really do. The feeling is mutual too.”

The freckled attorney exhaled deeply and shook her head almost imperceptibly at the impossible situation her partner found herself in. There was no good way out of this and they both had to be well aware of that.

“So, what are you two doing? How does anything good come of this?”

“I don’t know, Kelley,” Ali admitted softly. “We…wait?”

“That could be over a _year_ , Ali…” the younger attorney’s voice trailed off.

Ali could read the tone in Kelley’s voice. She knew it was hopeless, but she didn’t care. She felt something for Ashlyn that she hadn’t felt in years and she just couldn’t bring herself to give it up. She was kindhearted, intelligent, fun, quirky, and extremely good looking. She brought out something in the brunette that hadn’t been there for years. Her stomach hurt from laughing all weekend and her cheeks hurt from smiling so big. There was something between them that Ali just wasn’t ready to give up on. She had waited this long for someone like Ashlyn to come into her life. What was another year?

“I feel like it will be worth it, Kelley,” the brunette replied resolutely.

The freckled attorney nodded solemnly, knowing the brunette was in for a tough ride as she cast a glance to the TV over Ali’s shoulder on the side wall of her office.

“I just…I can’t explain it, Kelley,” Ali added with a shrug. “I can’t explain how I feel when I’m with her…”

Not tearing her eyes from the TV screen, Kelley’s heart skipped a beat as her fears were confirmed.

“Well…you might need to explain _that_ , Ali,” Kelley said, pointing over the brunette’s shoulder.

Ali’s eyes scrunched in confusion as she turned her glance to the television.

 **BREAKING NEWS** flashed across the screen, but Ali didn’t have time to pay attention to the rest of the headline as her eyes went wide at the grainy images of her and Ashlyn splashing around in the ocean filling the screen. It was only after she saw a third image of the pair snuggled up on the chaise lounge on the back porch that Ali’s eyes shifted to the headline.

**SENATOR HARRIS’S WIFE HAVING A STEAMY FLING WITH MYSTERY BRUNETTE!**

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry to burst the happy little bubble with some hard hitting drama. Just kidding... I’m not! Get ready for the ride ;)


	23. TWENTY THREE

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I’m so sorry for the delay! I’ve been swamped with work and some family stuff. Here’s an update and hopefully it won’t be long before I get the next one written and up for you all.

“Fuck,” Ali hissed as she watched a carousel of pictures flash across the screen.

The brunette’s heart was hammering soundly in her chest. Ali was sure if Kelley looked close enough she could measure her heart rate just by watching it protrude from her chest it was beating so furiously. She wasn’t paying attention to Kelley though, her eyes were locked on the television screen, watching as the images scrolled yet again.

There were five in total, Ali knew that much as she counted one after the other before the images began repeating their rotation yet again, still with the same headline flashing across the screen. The images were grainy and thankfully, her name hadn’t appeared on the screen ye.

Wanting to hear what the newscasters were saying, Ali frantically searched through the files littering her desk until she found the television remote. Jamming her finger down on the volume button, the brunette cranked it up until the newscasters’ voices were echoing throughout the room.

“Again Janet, these images are just coming to us out of Satellite Beach where Senator Harris shares a home with her wife, Ashlyn. At the moment it’s unclear who this mystery brunette is, but it _is_ clear that the Senator’s wife was having a bit of extramarital fun…”

Ali groaned as the male newscaster, Craig Jennings, continued to ramble on. While she was grateful that her name wasn’t being tossed around, the brunette felt a tug at her heart as she imaged what Ashlyn must be feeling at the moment. Her marriage with Ann was over, but the public wasn’t aware of that yet. The two had agreed to keep everything low key and civil throughout the divorce process. Senator Harris needed everything hush-hush with the upcoming reelection and the only reason they were able to be in the same room for mediation, was because Ashlyn agreed to go about the process discreetly. Ali could only imagine how quickly things would blow up between the strained couple now.

They didn’t have a prenup so an extramarital affair wouldn’t necessarily hurt the outcome of the divorce case, but it meant a world of hardship for the blonde. Everyone would be questioning her ethics, it could hurt her career and even make it difficult to go out in public. Ali felt for the blonde and her first instinct was to reach out.

“Don’t,” Kelley demanded as she clamped her hand down on top of Ali’s as the brunette stretched to grab her phone off the desk,

“I have to talk to her, Kelley,” Ali pleaded, her eyes glassy with emotion. “I have to see her…”

“That _definitely_ is not a good idea and you know it,” Kelley retorted.

The younger attorney didn’t physically pull the phone away from Ali, instead leveling a scrutinizing gaze that elicited a groan from the brunette as she released the iPhone.

“What the hell am I going to do now?” the brunette wondered aloud as her eyes flicked back to the TV screen that was now showing coverage from a recent reelection event Ann and Ashlyn had attended together.

“First, you’re going to be thankful that those pictures look like they were took on the original iPhone from a few hundred yards away,” Kelley explained. “Then, you’re going to come with me to the bar to get drunk.”

“I have work to do,” Ali grumbled as she cast a glance to the mess of papers scattered across her desk. “Besides, I have to be coherent for when Senator Harris calls me to bitch about her wife who just so happens to be my…girlfriend? God, how did this get so messed up, Kelley?”

The question was rhetorical, but Ali didn’t have time to answer it as her phone lit up with a number she immediately recognized. She held a finger up in the air to silence her partner before plucking the phone off the cradle.

“Hello, Senator Harris,” the brunette stated in the most cheerful voice she could muster.

The voice rambling on the other line hit a decibel that Ali wasn’t even sure was possible before that moment.

“Yes, Senator I saw the report,” the attorney acknowledged. “I know what the agreement was…well, I’m not sure what happened….”

Ali was on the defense as the Senator kept screeching in her ear. It was what she expected until it wasn’t.

_How can I use this to ruin her?_

The question caught Ali off guard, especially considering that the Senator had had someone on the side for quite some time as well. Ali stumbled over her words until the Senator picked up where she left off.

_You know what…I want to go on the full offensive. You have an investigator at your firm, right? I need to know who this mystery woman is._

The longer the conversation carried on, the more Ali felt her stomach wrenching into knots. The firm did have an investigator. In fact, they had a _great_ investigator and it wouldn’t take Syd very long to uncover that the mystery brunette was in fact, her boss. Still, Ali could help it as the words came pouring out of her mouth before her brain could truly process what was going on.

“Of course, Senator. I will get Sydney right on it,” the attorney confirmed, watching as Kelley dropped her face into her palms with a sigh.

“Yes, we can meet later this afternoon to review how this can affect the case. I’ll clear my schedule…”

It went on like that for a few more minutes until Ali was finally able to get the Senator off the phone. The moment she set the phone down on the cradle, Kelley was on her.

“Did you really just agree to have Sydney investigate the mystery brunette for the Senator?” the younger attorney asked incredulously.

“What was I supposed to do, Kelley? Was I supposed to just admit it was me? At least having Sydney on it allows us to control the narrative a little bit…”

“True,” Kelley hummed, but it was clear the freckle-faced woman wasn’t happy with the current state of everything.

“I’m sorry,” Ali whispered, her voice full of regret as she looked at her frazzled partner.

This wasn’t what the brunette wanted to have happened. It was exactly the reason why she had resigned to stay away from the blonde in the first place. But Ashlyn had _promised_ they wouldn’t be caught. She guaranteed that the neighbors were still up North and that the security cameras were off. How could someone have known? For a moment, just a single moment, Ali let a thought creep in. She didn’t want to give the thought life, but the words came out before she could stop them.

“Do you think Ashlyn set me up?”

Kelley recoiled a bit at the line of questioning.

“Do _you_?” the freckled attorney retorted.

“I don’t know what to think, Kelley,” Ali admitted. “All I know is that she promised we wouldn’t be seen and yet there are lots of pictures of us making out flashing across every TV in the country.”

“I doubt it’s _every_ TV in the country,” Kelley refuted, earning herself a glare.

“I need to recuse myself from this case. This is only to get bigger and the further away from it I am, the better it is for the firm. Maybe I should just leave the firm entirely before this blows up…”

Kelley was quick to put a stop to Ali’s line of thinking.

“You’re not walking away from the firm that we built together,” Kelley quickly affirmed, her tone serious. “We’re going to get through this. We’ll figure out a way, Ali.”

“Are you sure?”

Ali’s voice was meek and full of indecision. Her heart was being pulled in two different directions, threatening to rip apart at the seams. She couldn’t believe that she had jeopardized everything—her friendship with Kelley, her firm, and career—for a woman. But on the other hand, it didn’t seem like she had a choice. Her feelings for Ashlyn were so strong, a magnetic pull that she just couldn’t fight.

Seeing the hurt and indecision etched into Ali’s tanned face, Kelley nodded to the cell phone on her desk, “Give her a call.”

The brunette pulled her glance up from the desk to meet Kelley’s. The pleading look was asking for reassurance, which Kelley gave with another gaze. It was clear that Ali needed some clarity and reassurance. The two had gotten themselves into quite the mess and it was clear they’d need each other to get out of it.

Ali plucked her phone off the desk as Kelley quickly excused herself from the room. It only rang twice before being sent straight to voicemail. The brunette tried again with a similar result. As she tried once more and was again sent to voicemail, the knot in the pit of her stomach began growing even bigger.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thoughts on this one? Is ash mad or is she just not able to answer her phone??
> 
> Also, I hope it won’t be long until I get the next chapter up but if you’re waiting for updates of my story and haven’t yet, check out the story from my good friend Inked11 called The Surrogate!


	24. TWENTY FOUR

“You wanted to see me?” came a voice from the doorway.

Ali glanced up from the papers scattered across her desk and forced a smile on her face.

“Yes, Syd,” the attorney nodded. “Please come in.”

Sydney, their lead investigator smiled as Ali waved her into the room. Taking her usual seat in front of Ali’s desk, the woman kicked her feet up on the desk.

At this, Ali couldn’t help but roll her eyes. Sydney Leroux had been brought in three months after they founded the firm. The woman was a few years younger than Ali, but she knew her stuff. What started as a case by case contract, quickly turned into a salaried position as the investigator proved her worth to the firm. Nothing got past their investigator. Syd was the best of the best, and as such, quickly earned herself a seat at the table. Though she could never become a partner at the firm, Kelley and Ali truly valued her opinion and treated her like family. Hence the feet kicked up on the desk. It was a common occurrence, though usually one that occurred after hours when they all had a glass of wine or bourbon in hand as they decompressed after a long day or case.

“What can I do for you?” Sydney inquired, the ever-insightful woman eyeing her boss inquisitively.

“I need you on the Senator Harris case,” Ali explained. “I’m assuming you saw the news today?”

Syd nodded, the look on her face unreadable.

“Senator Harris wants answers and she wants them now,” the attorney continued. “Can you see what you can dig up for me?”

As the words left Ali’s mouth, the brunette hated herself for saying them. Not only was she wasting Sydney’s time, but she was putting herself in even more danger, so to speak. Sydney was the best for a reason. Ali knew there was no way she wouldn’t find out the truth behind the pictures. While she trusted Syd implicitly, bringing someone else into her situation wasn’t ideal. She wanted to protect her firm, not make it worse. But the Senator was expecting the best on the case and she knew Syd was it. The only thing Ali could do as she explained the rest of the details was hope it would take the woman a few days. At least that would buy her some more time.

“This seems like a pretty straightforward case,” Syd acknowledged casually. “I’m sure I can have an update for you by the end of the day.”

Ali’s stomach lurched at the words, “The end of the _day_?”

“Yeah,” the investigator replied while giving her boss a narrowed gaze. “Maybe not the exact identity but you know how quick I work. Anything else?”

“Uh nope. That’ll be it,” Ali replied, again forcing a smile on her lips, heart hammering in her chest. “Thanks, Syd.”

“No problem, boss lady,” the woman replied, easily distracted by the number that had just popped up on her phone.

Ali watched as Sydney shot her a puzzled look while pulling her feet off the desk and standing up. The attorney quickly dismissed the investigator with a flick of her wrist, plucking her phone off the desk the minute the door was closed.

“Ash?” Ali asked in a timid voice as Sydney tugged the door to her office shut.

_”Yes. I’m sorry I missed your call. Denise was on the other line. She’s not happy.”_

“I can imagine,” Ali grumbled as she got comfortable in her seat. “Where did all of this come from? I thought you said no one was around?”

Ali didn’t mean to be accusatory, but the questions swirling in her head were becoming too much. Her curious nature was taking over, aided by the nerves that were bubbling up in her gut.

_”I have no idea, Ali. If I would have known something like this would have happened…”_

The blonde’s voice continued on for a bit longer before trailing off and the attorney felt her heart sink. She could hear the pain and embarrassment in the woman’s voice. It was heartbreaking. Knowing the person that Ashlyn was, this coming out, without any precursor about the divorce or the Senator’s own dubiousness, was surely going to impact not just her reputation, but also her feelings.

“How are you?” Ali asked, skipping past any accusations or pestering questions for the moment. Ashlyn was hurting and the attorney needed to tamper down her curious nature.

_”Not great. My phone hasn’t stopped lighting up since the news broke. Between family and friends and the damn media, I can’t get away from it. They’re parked outside my house right now…”_

“We’ll figure this out, Ash,” Ali confirmed. “We will.”

_“You seem to forget that we’re on opposing sides here.”_

Ali sighed at the blonde’s statement. In a sense, she wasn’t wrong. She was Ann’s attorney and that meant ethically she had to have the Senator’s best interest at heart. Still, Ali couldn’t just leave Ashlyn to fend off the wolves herself. It was her fault the blonde was in this predicament anyway.

“Ash, you know I’m on your side,” the attorney replied assuredly. “I need to know you’re okay.”

_”I’ll be fine. I was going to get divorced anyway. I’m more worried about the implications this can have on you.”_

Ashlyn had a point. In her worry about how the blonde was taking everything, Ali had momentarily forgotten what was at stake for her. Her job, career and the firm she and Kelley worked relentlessly to build was in the crosshairs.

“Ann has my best investigator working the case to find out the ‘mystery woman’s’ identity,” Ali admitted.

_”Jesus, Ali,” the blonde hissed. “Are you kidding me?”_

“It’s okay,” the brunette assured. “Syd is the best, but she’s also one of my best friends. She’ll give me a heads up...”

Just then there was a knock on Ali’s door. She peered through the glass window on the side of her door and saw her investigator standing there with a pleased look on her face. Ali held a finger up to buy herself a few moments.

“Syd’s actually here now so I’ve got to get going.”

_”Okay.”_

The response was prompt and devoid of emotion and it sent a twinge of guilt panging through Ali’s chest. She _needed_ to reassure the blonde.

“Listen, Ash…we’re going to get through this. I don’t care what happens, on the other side, I’m still going to be there for you.”

_”That’s too much to ask, Ali.”_

“You’re not asking me,” Ali responded assuredly. “I’m telling you.”

_”Promise?”_

The meek voice on the other end of the line twisted the knot in Ali’s stomach again, but the brunette was resolute.

“I promise.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thoughts? Concerns? Anyone see a way out of this for our favorite couple? 
> 
> Buckle up for the next few bumpy chapters ;)


	25. TWENTY-FIVE

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry for the delay on this! Things have been crazy but I’m hoping to update more frequently now that they’ve settled down! Hope you’re still enjoying :)

Ali took a deep breath and quickly beckoned Syd into the room. The investigator was wearing a big smirk and holding a file folder in her hands.

“Got something for me already?” Ali questioned, though she was unsure if she really wanted to know the answer.

Her heart sank when the investigator nodded confidently and held out a folder.

The attorney took the folder from Sydney as the investigator sank down into the chair in front of her desk. Opening it up, Ali was relieved to not see her name scribbled on any of the pages. Instead, there was a bunch of jargon that she wasn’t quite familiar with.

“What am I looking at?” Ali questioned, setting the file down on the desk.

“Come on, we’ve been doing this for how long?” Syd teased. “You can’t read my writing?”

“Oh I can read your writing,” Ali playfully sassed back. “I just can’t figure out what it means.”

“It means in about 24 hours, give or take, I’ll know exactly who this mystery brunette is,” Sydney quickly replied, pointing to a name and slew of digits on the center of the second page.”

Ali raised an eyebrow in question, to which Syd let out a deep sigh.

“That’s the Senator’s home security system. They’ve got pretty tight security, but once I get the network info from the Senator, I can actually hack into the system and see the logs from that weekend.”

“But the cameras were off,” the attorney quickly bit back.

The brunette watched Syd’s eyes narrow in suspicion as Ali’s heart rate doubled. She could feel her heart hammering in her chest as she wracked her brain for a response.

“I mean…I’m assuming in the middle of a divorce case the Senator’s wife wouldn’t be stupid enough to have the cameras running, especially when she was….you know,” Ali finally got out, though her voice creaked with emotion.

At that, the investigator relaxed a bit.

“Fucking some brunette bimbo?” Syd retorted.

Ali ignored the cheap comment, knowing that Syd wasn’t aware she was insulting her own boss. Instead, the brunette simply nodded.

“All the cameras inside the house were off. But it looks like the Senator had some outdoor cameras installed a few years back that was on a different circuit. Those are the ones I’m going to gain access to. Looks like her wife changed the Wi-Fi password so I can’t hack in that way, but I can still use the backdoor to gain access to the records on their company database. There’s one on the main gate and another two on the back patio. I imagine those will give me the images I need. Then it’s as simple as running it through facial recognition software. Like I said… pretty simple. I should have an answer for you within twenty-four hours.”

The brunette forced a smile on her face, despite hating the fact that her lead investigator was so damn good at her job. It was one thing when Syd used her skills to help out clients, but another entirely when she was the victim of the woman’s hacking skills. The walls were closing in and it was only a matter of time before Syd had the results that would lead to her demise. Ethically, Ali couldn’t withhold the results of the investigation from her client. But with so much at stake, was it worth crossing that ethical line? She was at a loss, completely unsure of what to do next.

“You don’t seem too excited,” Syd retorted sarcastically. “Do you have any idea how long that would have taken literally any other investigator?”

“Sorry, Syd,” Ali replied, snapping out of her trance. “You’re just always so impressive that it’s become my status quo.”

The joke seemed to perk the investigator up and this time, the brunette smiled naturally. Syd was a friend—a friend who she was putting in a terrible position—but Ali didn’t see any other way around it. She needed those 24 hours to figure out the next move. Unfortunately, the next move was made for her.

“Well that’s certainly going to make things interesting,” Syd stated with a nod to the TV tucked in the corner of the office.

Turning to glance at the TV, Ali’s eyes went wide. Flashing across the screen was a photo of Senator Harris. Only instead of the typical picture of her posted up behind a podium or speaking with constituents at a rally, this one was a bit grainy and clearly taken with a massive zoom lens. It was darker in the image, but clear as day, the Senator could be seen with her assistant pushed up against a desk, locked in a passionate kiss. A second later, another image replaced the first. This one was still grainy, but a bit brighter. Again, the image was of the Senator and her receptionist. In this image, Senator Harris was seated at her desk, receiving a shoulder rub from the petite blonde. The last picture, and perhaps the most damning, showed the Senator clutching her assistant's hand and pulling her into a hotel room. The timestamp was several years prior when the Senator was touring the state for her reelection campaign, at 1:01 am. All in all, the pictures were extremely damaging and suddenly, the pictures of Ali and Ashlyn were no longer plastered on every news station. The images of the Senator were.

As expected, Ali’s phone was ringing before she could even process the images splashed across the TV screen. Glancing down, it was a familiar number and an even more familiar extension.

“I’ve got to take this, it’s the Senator,” Ali explained, pointing at the ringing phone as she dismissed the investigator. “Keep up the good work, Syd.”

Taking in a deep breath, Ali grabbed the phone from the cradle. She didn’t even nestle it against her ear before lecherous screams erupted from the other end.

“HOW COULD YOU LET THIS HAPPEN!” shrieked the Senator. “In mediation we _clearly_ agreed that Ashlyn wouldn’t expose my past affair!”

“Ann, take a deep breath,” Ali directed, finally pulling the phone closer when the screaming halted. “We’re going to get to the bottom of this. You don’t know for sure that Ashlyn is to blame for these.”

“I know _exactly_ who is responsible for them and it’s that bitch! Why are you defending her?”

“I’m not defending her,” Ali backtracked, “But there’s no way to know where they came from. This could also be a political hit on you. Maybe an opponent capitalizing on the divorce news…”

This stream of logic seemed to calm the Senator down slightly. It made sense that an opponent could be making a move as the news of a cheating wife and divorce could sway sympathy votes to the Senator. While Ali herself assumed the images came from Ashlyn or Denise, the other scenario was also completely plausible. The images had just dropped and there was no telling the source of them this early in the game.

“I want to know where those images came from,” the Senator demanded. “Get your investigator on that, right away!”

Ali nodded, though the Senator couldn’t see it.

“Of course, I’ll shift her other assignments and have her get to the bottom of this right away,” Ali explained, thankful for a reason to redirect Syd’s efforts and buy herself a bit more time. “Whoever is responsible for those leaked photos, Syd will get to the bottom of it.”

“Good,” the Senator grunted. “If its Ashlyn behind them, I swear...I’ll do whatever it takes to ruin her. And that brunette bitch too…”

At this, Ali’s eyes widened a bit. Now, she was fighting a war on both fronts. Unfortunately, there was no telling when—or where—the next bomb would drop.


	26. TWENTY SIX

Ali was halfway through a glass of whiskey that evening when there was a knock on her office door. Glancing up, the lawyer let out a sigh when she saw Sydney waving from behind the glass pane. Kelley, who was seated in front of Ali, also clutching a slightly less full than her partner’s, waved the woman in.

Syd quickly scurried in, wearing a troubled scowl on her face. She had a file folder clutched tightly in her hand, though it wasn’t very thick.

“Want a glass? We’re celebrating a hell of a day,” Ali playfully joked, picking up the bottle and gesturing towards Syd.

A proposition that the investigator would normally accept with earnest, was instead waved off.

“Can I talk to you, Ali?” she asked, her voice unusually timid.

“Sure, Syd,” the brunette nodded. “What you got there?” 

“This might be better to discuss alone,” the feisty investigator retorted bluntly.

In all their years of knowing each other, Ali knew one thing to always be true of Sydney—the woman always cut right to the chase. She was a straight shooter who didn’t have time for beating around the bush or other stall tactics. The moment the words left Syd’s lips, Ali knew exactly what was in that folder. She wasn’t sure why Sydney had defied her orders and not shifted her focus to the Senator’s most recent request, all she knew was that this wasn’t going to be an easy conversation. Still, it was a conversation that as a partner of the firm, Kelley had every right to be in. They were in this together and Ali wanted the freckled attorney to know exactly what was going on and have a say in the decisions. 

“Whatever you need to say can be said in front of Kelley,” Ali stated firmly. 

From the tone in the attorney’s voice, Sydney could easily infer the implications. 

“So she already knows that you sent me on a wild goose chase?” Syd shot back.

“You sure you don’t want that whiskey she offered up?” Kelley chirped, trying to break the tension that had settled into the room. 

Instead of answering, the investigator tossed the folder on Ali’s desk before turning to grab the carafe of amber whiskey. Pouring herself a glass, Syd sank down in the chair next to Kelley, all the while glaring back at her boss. 

Ali’s heart clenched at the scrutinizing look Syd cast in her direction. She didn’t need to look at the contents or the folder. All she needed to do was take one look at her very pissed off investigator. Syd shot straight from the hip and this time, Ali hadn’t. 

“Gonna look at those pictures, boss?” the irritated woman asked rhetorically with a nod to the manila folder sitting untouched on Ali’s desk.

Waiting for Ali’s reply, the investigator took a big swig from the glass, not even grimacing as the burning hot liquid hit her throat. 

“Syd,” Ali started but was quickly cut off.

Syd, irritated by the lack of movement, set her glass down on the desk soundly and yanked the folder up. Flipping the file open, she emphatically tossed picture after picture of Ali and Ashlyn onto the attorney’s desk.

“Care to explain why you asked me to investigate what you already knew the answer to?” the woman asked in an accusatory tone as she finally tossed the empty folder down on the desk.

Any other employee that spoke to Ali that way would quickly have been chastised, but this was different. Not only was the situation different, Syd was too. She was their friend, a confidant that had been brought into the inner circle of trust. Trust that Ali had broken the moment she put Sydney on the job. There were no words that could quickly repair it, but she brunette had to try.

Waving Kelley off as the freckled woman tried to cut in, Ali set down her drink and began gathering up the pictures into a single pile to place back into the folder. The last thing she needed was to misplace one or have it laying around when someone else came into the office.

“Syd, I’m going to be straight with you…” she started.

“Bout damn time you are,” the investigator bit back.

Ali was starting to get the feeling this relationship would be harder to repair than she thought. Her relationship with Sydney meant a lot and the attorney knew an apology would be the best place to start. 

“Listen, Syd, I’m really sorry,” Ali replied honestly, her eyes starting to become the slightest bit glassy with emotion. “I fucked up and wasn’t sure what to do. The Senator wanted my best investigator to look into the case and that’s obviously you.” 

“Why didn’t you just tell me?” the younger woman bit back, though her tone stung slightly less this time.

“I was still trying to figure out what to do,” Ali explained. “And honestly, I thought it would take you longer than it did. I thought I would have more time to figure things out.” 

The investigator plucked the glass back off the desk and took another big sip of whiskey, eyeing Ali over the brim of the glass as she did so. Her shoulders sagged slightly, releasing some of the tension that was coiled up in her black leather jacket. 

“You underestimated me?” 

“Never,” Kelley interjected. “She simply overestimated her own abilities to hide a fledgling affair with our high-profile client’s wife.” 

“She said the cameras were off,” Ali groaned in reply, dropping her head back against the chair in despair. 

“Jesus, what are you two? High schoolers?” Sydney shot back. “Turning off the security cameras so mom and dad don’t find out you’ve got a girl over?” 

“Easy Syd,” Kelley warned, but there was no real authority in her tone.

“How long has this been going on?” the investigator questioned, feeling that she was at least owed an explanation.

Ali sighed and kicked back the rest of her whiskey. She set the glass down and settled back into her chair to divulge information that only a select few people were privy of. She explained meeting Ashlyn and not knowing she was the Senator’s wife, how they talked for weeks, and then how reality quickly set in when they had their first mediation meeting. Then came the story about how she broke it off with Ashlyn, only to find herself in bed with the woman, and then starting a fight by trying to hack into her phone to delete the texts and pictures. The only time she got any real reaction out of Sydney, is the story from Florida, a weekend that never should have happened, but ended up being one of the best in her life, and how that had come to haunt her when pictures were leaked by the media.

“She said there was no one around, no way for anyone to see us,” Ali stated vigorously.

“And you believed that?” Syd shot back. “Ali, there’s always people watching. You of all people should know that! How many of our cases have involved private investigator or paparazzi pics? Come on…” 

“Do you know how long it had been since she had gotten laid?” Kelley retorted with a wry smile, “I don’t the right part of her body was really making the decisions here.” 

“Shut it,” Ali griped, dropping her head into her hands. “And before you ask…it’s not just about the sex. I think I…might love her…”

“I figured you wouldn’t jeopardize your career and entire law firm just because you wanted to get some,” Syd retorted with a slight bite to her words. 

After a moment, Ali lifted her head and met Syd’s gaze. “So why didn’t you shift your focus to Senator Harris’s new request? You said this would take another 24 hours…” 

“That’s when I thought I had to run the images through facial recognition,” Syd explained with a raised eyebrow. “I didn’t expect the images to be of my boss.” 

“Sorry,” Ali mumbled, but the investigator waved her apology off.

“Besides, I was putting calls into people while I was hacking into the security system. So technically, I was doing both.” 

“Fair enough,” Kelley shrugged, knowing their investigator was skilled enough to multitask. “So I guess we should address the elephant in the room…what happens now?” 

Syd shrugged, “Well I’m obviously not going to take this to the Senator...but sooner or later if we don’t produce results she’s going to turn to someone else…” 

“I know,” Ali sighed. “Why don’t we just shift our efforts to finding out who leaked the images of the Senator and her receptionist and see how long that buys us?”

The three women agreed that it was the best course of action. It would at least buy them some time to figure out the rest of the details and look for a way out of the situation—if there even was one. They continued discussing everything for a few minutes, the conversation finally shifting back to Ali and Ashlyn’s relationship and how the plan was to lay low for the time being. A quiet lull settled until Syd broke through the silence after a few seconds.

“Well if you’re going to do this, you’re going to do it right. Wait here,” Sydney instructed.

The investigator chugged the remaining few gulps of whiskey in her glass before turning and sauntering from the room. Ali and Kelley shared a perplexed look for a moment, but less than a minute later Sydney was back. This time, she had a cell phone clutched tightly in her grasp. The woman set the phone down on the desk without a word and Ali simply peered back up at her with a puzzled expression.

“It’s a burner phone. If you’re going to keep this up, you need to be discreet. And before you say anything, don’t worry…it’s paid for in cash on the outskirts of town. There are no cameras at that place so no one will be able to track it. You can use it for now, but to be safe, I’ll get an associate to deliver one to your lover girl. My guy in Florida should have it to her within a couple hours. Don’t worry…he’s real low key.” 

“You scare me sometimes,” Ali chuckled as she plucked the small flip phone off the desk and turned it over in her hands.

“I should,” Syd retorted matter of fact as she poured herself another glass half full of whiskey. “So I guess if there’s nothing else, I’m going to get back to work…”

“Sounds good,” Kelley replied with a nod. 

“Thanks, Syd,” Ali said honestly, meeting the investigator's gaze with a look of gratitude and appreciation. 

“You got it,” the investigator confirmed with an understanding nod. “I’ll be at my desk if you need anything else.”

The woman left and Kelley and Ali fell back into discussion about some of the other cases that were pending. Discussing a case that wasn’t the Senator’s came as a relief to Ali and her partner could tell. They worked side by side for a few more hours until the sun began setting and they saw a steady stream of their associates and paralegals heading to the door. 

“Why don’t we call it a day?” Ali prodded, finally flipping closed the case file she had been pouring through.

Kelley agreed, shuffling her own papers back into the folder they had come free. 

“You going to come out for drinks with the girls tonight?” the freckled attorney asked as she stacked up the files she had been working on.

Ali shook her head, explaining she had some other business to take care of first. Kelley accepted the excuse without much pushback and as the younger attorney finally strolled out of the office, shutting the door behind her, Ali pulled the small device out of her desk drawer.

She typed out a quick text, shooting it off before her conscience told her otherwise. 

After a few painful minutes of waiting, most of it debating whether or not Syd’s guy had been able to pull through with his end of the bargain, the phone lit up in response.

**I can’t take this. I’m coming to D.C.**

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So what do you think? Did Syd have a right to be mad? Is Ashlyn making a mistake coming to D.C.? Thoughts, comments, and wild predictions always welcomed :)


	27. TWENTY SEVEN

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I’m so sorry about the delay on this story. It’s been a rough few months. Long story short, my wife and I have been trying to get pregnant since August. It’s been an emotionally trying process and I just recently went through an IVF cycle. The meds messed with me pretty good and with the craziness of the holidays and stress at work I wasn’t feeling too creative. Hoping to get back to posting more regularly since this play does bring me a lot of joy. For those still reading after a long absence, I appreciate it and hope you enjoy!

Ali knew it was a terrible idea, but the moment she opened the door to find Ashlyn standing before her, logic and common sense flew out the window. Grabbing a fistful of the blonde’s shirt, the attorney yanked her visitor into the condo.

Grinning ear to ear, Ashlyn happily obliged. Their minds were running at warped speed trying to process everything that happened the past few days, but neither wanted to cloud the moment with facts. Instead, the women let their bodies do the talking. It happened quickly, but slowly at the same time.

Both women were naked from the waist up within a minute of the blonde’s arrival, but Ali could only concentrate on how gently Ashlyn guided her backward to the couch as their tongues danced together rhythmically.

As her knees hit the back of the couch ever so gently, Ali smiled into the kiss.

“I missed this,” the brunette admitted as Ashlyn switched their positions, lowering them gently onto the plush cushions so that Ali was now straddling her.

“I missed you,” the blonde replied with a lecherous grin as her fingers slid up the brunette’s back until they rested at the soft hairs lining the back of her neck.

Ali was racking her mind for the words to respond, but before she could settle on something that did her feelings justice, Ashlyn’s slender fingers tightened in the hair on the back of her neck, eliciting a soft moan. The subtle response seemed to spur Ashlyn on as her lips tore from Ali’s and began attacking the soft flesh of her neck with the haste of a first time, but the experience of a savvy veteran.

The feeling of warm lips pulled another moan from the brunette, this one a bit louder as it reverberated against the blonde’s lips.

“God you’re beautiful,” Ashlyn hummer against the skin now erupting in goosebumps as she made her way lower, finally sucking one of the brunette’s nipples into her mouth.

“Don’t stop,” was all Ali could get out as she arched her back, begging for more as she ground her hips down, demanding contact where she ached for it the most.

Ashlyn quickly obliged, and with ease, slipped her hands under the loose waistband of the brunette’s shorts. This time, the moan escaped her lips as she was met by wetness that quickly coated her fingers.

“I guess you did miss me,” Ashlyn teased with a smirk.

The remark caused the brunette to pull back, meeting Ashlyn’s cocky gaze with a glare. The scowl was quick to fade once the blonde’s fingers slipped inside and began rhythmically stroking the brunette. Ali threw her head back, gasping at the feeling of Ashlyn filling her. Her body ignited at the feeling as she desperately claimed the blonde’s lips with her own.  
“Don’t stop baby,” Ali pleaded as she rode the blonde’s fingers to climax, a slew of swearwords slipping from her lips as her body writhed with the shockwaves of the orgasm rippling through her body before she collapsed on the blonde sated and spent.

It took a few moments, but when Ali’s heart rate finally settled, she pulled back and was met with the most beautiful pair of shimmering hazel eyes. It was a sight that the attorney didn’t think she’d ever get used to, but couldn’t get enough of all the same.

“Yes, I did miss you,” the brunette sassed as she pecked Ashlyn’s lips with a soft kiss. “But for many more reasons aside from this.”

Ashlyn grinned and pecked the attorney’s lips once more, “I missed you too. It’s been a rough few days, huh?”

“That’s the understatement of the year,” Ali chuckled.

There was a plush blanket hanging over the back of the couch and the brunette pulled it down so it was covering both of their exposed torsos. She felt content, safe, in Ashlyn’s arms and after the trying week, Ali just wanted to remain there a little longer.

“It would have been a bit easier had those pictures of us not leaked,” Ali chirped. “Or the pictures of Ann and her secretary. The Senator has me working overtime on this one trying to track down the source.”

“Wasn’t me,” Ashlyn replied evenly, “Or Denise,” she added when met with a skeptical look from the brunette. “I swear. Denise promised she had nothing to do with it…”

“Then who?”

The blonde just shrugged, “Maybe a political hit? Or the same person who stirred up the dirt on me?”

Ali didn’t quite buy it, but the brunette certainly didn’t want to spend her precious moments with Ashlyn fighting about what would hopefully become an insignificant thing in her life. Sooner rather than later, Syd would get to the bottom of who leaked both sets of images and until then, there was no use arguing over it.

“Well, I for one, don’t want to spend our time talking about this bullshit,” Ali finally replied, though her words were cut off by the ringing of a cellphone.

With a groan, she glanced behind her where an iPhone was illuminating with a picture of Syd. She didn’t want to take the call, but Syd wouldn’t be calling unless it was an emergency. Shirking away from the blonde, Ali pulled the blanket with her and sauntered into the other room out of earshot.

“What is it, Syd?”

“I got to the bottom of some of this mess,” the investigator supplied.

“And…” Ali retorted, her tone impatient.

“I talked to my source at the Times and found out who the pictures came from, off the record of course. It’s a local photographer that follows the Senator closely when she’s in Florida for events. The guy shoots a lot of her charity events and campaign work.”

“So, he was staking out the Senator’s house looking for a scoop?” Ali questioned.

“Well, that’s what I thought at first,” Syd acknowledged, “But I did a bit more digging. It turns out he received a $20,000 deposit the day those photos were taken…from an account that I traced back to Senator Harris…”

“Are you saying what I think you’re saying?” the attorney demanded, her mind already reeling with the implications.

“The Senator paid to have Ashlyn followed and those pictures taken,” Sydney confirmed. “He even received another $10,000 the day the story broke in the news. Also from that same account.”

“That bitch,” Ali hissed.

The brunette’s mind was going a million miles a minute, seething at the fact that Ann had gone behind her back to have Ashlyn followed and photographed. And then had the nerve to lie about it and act surprised when the story broke. If there was one thing Ali hated, it was clients that lied to her and Ann Harris was turning out to be the worst one of them all.

“That’s not all, Ali…” the investigator drawled, prompting the attorney to pry herself from the thoughts swirling inside her troubled mind.

“What else?”

“I heard from another contact at the local news station and those pictures of Senator Harris and her secretary were captured on an iPhone that belongs one of the interns that worked for Ann back then,” Sydney explained. “Apparently he became a bit disgruntled after she didn’t hire him for a full-time position and he figured he could strike it rich once the pictures of Ashlyn came out too. Made a pretty penny for those pictures according to my guy over at Channel 4.”

Not that Ali doubted her honesty, but the brunette was grateful Ashlyn hadn’t been lying. The pictures weren’t from her or Denise and despite her raging infuriation that the Senator set Ashlyn up and lied to her own attorney, she was grateful to have at least that information readily available to provide Senator Harris. Though, the thought of even getting on the phone with the woman sent chills running down Ali’s spine.

“Alright, thanks for all this. Great work,” Ali finally replied. “We can go everything when I get in tomorrow morning and then set up a meeting with the Senator, okay?”

“Sounds good,” the investigator confirmed. “Have a good night with your lady friend.”

The sing-song voice Sydney used confirmed that she knew something was going on. Ali could almost see the smirk she knew the woman was wearing through the phone but didn’t have the energy to counter her. There was already enough going on in her head.

“Goodnight, Syd,” she replied in a teasing tone of her own, quickly hanging up the phone before her investigator could get any more information out of the conversation. 

Setting the phone down on the counter beside her, Ali let out a deep sigh. Things were getting messy quickly. The brunette knew she should call and fill Kelley in, but for once, she wanted to forget about it all. Dropping the blanket to the floor, the attorney sauntered back into the living room wearing nothing but a sexy smirk.

“You haven’t gotten a tour of the bedroom yet, have you?” the brunette quipped, sending Ashlyn stumbling after her as the two raced down the hall giggling.


End file.
